The Way Back Home
by CuteMcBeauty
Summary: Years after defeating the black fairy, Killian and Emma take their daughter Lizzie sailing when a sudden storm rips their vessel apart. After much searching, they assume she is dead. Killian and Emma deal with their grief while Lizzie Jones desperately seeks to find her way back home to her parents and family, all the while discovering the powerful magic within her.
1. Chapter 1

Eight years after defeating the black fairy, Killian and Emma take their 7 year old daughter Elizabeth sailing on a smaller boat, a normal family outing for the Jones family, when all of a sudden, a massive storm takes place and makes the small vessel break apart. The Jones family tries to hold together but they all fall from each other's embrace. When Killian and Emma wake up back on the Storybrooke beach without Lizzie, and after much searching, they assume she has been claimed by the waters, when in truth, the cause of the storm was an unusual portal opening, that took the little princess away to another realm.

Killian and Emma deal with their grief while Lizzie Jones desperately seeks to find her way back home to her parents and family, all the while discovering the powerful magic within her.

CHAPTER 1: TRAGEDY

The funeral for the little princess, Emma Elizabeth Jones, takes place next to the Jolly Roger, safely harboured in the Storybrooke docks. Since no mortal remains were ever found of the little girl, the grievant attendees cast wreaths and fire lanterns into the sunset colored waters of the Maine harbor. The Captain, a former pirate and now a dashing heroic figure serving as acting sheriff and deputy alongside his wife, the original sheriff, princess and savior of the town, are admired and respected as authority figures, and above all, loved. Learning of young Lizzie Jones's tragic passing has been a huge blow, not just to the grieving family, but to the whole town of Storybrooke.

The photograph of the child born to princess Emma Swan and her husband, Captain Killian Jones, adorned with a white ribbon, stands by the harbor's edge, crowned with flowers. Smiling back at the grieving attendees is the image of a beautiful little girl, as Jones as she could be: big, lashy eyes, blue as the sky, framed by cascades of straigh, jet black hair, that spiked slightly out of control at the edge of her forehead. A vivacious smile that can warm any heart, she sports the chiselled features of her mother, nose, cheekbones and a little cleft on her chin. Like a dark haired, blue eyed little version of the Savior.

Seated together beside the image, holding each other tight like their very lives depend on it, are the savior and her Captain, both clad in black. Emma's hair hangs lose around the sides, unkept, her face haggard from fatigue and eyes swollen by the tears that seem to have temporrily ceased their flow. Him, he's another matter. He holds her to himself, his hook tight around her shouler and his hand wrapped around hers as it sits on her lap, his chin resting on the crown of her head as it leans into his chest, his gaze lost and his eyes clouded by the same saline ocean water he had for centuries sailed. He heaves, and she squeezes his hand in return.

Behind them sits Emma's family, starting by her now twenty-two year old son who has come home from college the moment he heard that his little sister Lizzie had drowned in a terrible accident. Snow White is another uncontrollable mess as the handsome young Henry Mills-Jones (a choice on his name he had made after his mother's wedding to the good Captain) holds her, also stuggling not to break down completely. Young Neal Nolan also stands by, wondering what he can do to stop his mother and sister's tears, because it hurts so much to see them cry. Prince "Charming", the long standing defender of the town alongside Emma, doesn't seem to know what to do with himself as he stares at his grieving daughter, seated right in front of him. Mayor (Queen) Regina Mills stands by the photograph, welcoming the offerings with a kind nod and, aided by her older sister Zelena and her daughter, Robin, casts the flowers into the water.

Two weeks… two long, painful weeks had been spent seeking for her little girl. Two weeks of magic that yielded no reuslts, tracking spells that had led them all back into the water, incantations that led nowhere and didn't seem to indicate if the child was alive somewhere… and even very human and non-magical dredging equipment and diving teams; none were able to trace any remains of the little princess. The sea had done what it always did; what fell into it belonged to it. After far too much time, Killian and Emma finally decided their baby was gone, and that it was best to see her off like the sailor's daughter and princess that she was.

Emma's h in disarray; she had been unable to save her child, her daughter. She sighs deep and closes her eyes., further nuzzling into Killian's embrace as it tightens around her shoulders. Her head throbs, harder than it has ever done before, and her only desire at that moment is to embrace the soothing, comforting oblivion of her bed, where she is likely to sleep for the next ten years were it not for her other son and her husband who still need her. She straightens her head and caresses Killian's hand with her thumb as she tries to sketch a bleak grin on her face. He briefly looks at her and it is devastating to see him, his eyes sadder than she even knew possible, before averting his gaze to the floor and shutting his eyes tight, a fresh batch of tears streaming down his face.

No matter what, she loves her pirate. Oh, how she loves him. Seeing him so broken is something she never knew she'd ever witness. And given his devotion to the little girl as a new father, it comes as no surprise to her, either. She knows he blames hismelf. She also knew he doesn't have to. She is the Savior who didn't save her own child and he is the captain that didn't bring the ship and his family safely to shore. Both are to blame. But… Neither are to blame.

Now, all they have is one another.

David Nolan, the Prince, is the only one in the close committe sound enough to deliver a decent eulogy without completely falling apart at the seams. Once all attendees have finished casting their offerings into the water and are seated, he stands, tall and dashing but mournful in a black suit, wondering if he will have it in him to talk about his now deceased grandaughter and not break down.

He stands by the podium and looks up at the (very large) attendance.

He clears his throat and retrieves his annotations from his coat pocket. "I want to… thank you all for coming here today. It's erhm… quite the turnout. It helps to know we are not alone to… deal with this tragic loss."

He sighs deep as Emma and Killian finally turned their sad faces to him, waiting for his words. The silence of the day is only broken by the distant squaking of seagulls and the gentle lull of the water soflty colliding against the harbor walls. David takes a profound breath and begins his speech.

"The day my wife and I learned that our daughetr Emma was about to have her second child, and Killian's first, we couldn't have been more excited. Those were happy tidings. A few months later, we were called into the hospital to meet our baby grandaughter, and I remember the exact moment when my son in law handed her over to us, to meet the new princess. I remember how this man I had once dreaded held me in joy when his daughter was finally born. I remember everyone taking turns in holding her, how we all admired how much she looked like her father and … well, just relishing in the joy of the moment. My daughter had found her love… and together, they created this… perfect, beautiful little girl we all loved tremendously. Our Lizzie." He swallows hard. "She brought a whole new brand of magic with her: the magic of the true, true love that comes from two souls who find each other and fight for their love. The magic of kindness ahead of her years, courage, beauty… But, magic, as they say, always… " his voice breaks. "… always comes with a price. She was the angel that slipped from paradise and soon enough, whoever is up there, noticed one of his finest cherubs was missing, so… he …" She sobs softly. "…he claimed her back." He composes hismelf and takes a deep breath. "She would not want us to grieve; like her mother, she was a bringer of joy, and like her father, she was the incarnation of a lesson to be leaned by all who knew her. She will be missed, so, so sorely missed, but… she would want us to remember her with a smile. Because that is all Elizabeth Jones ever gave us: reasons to smile. And while we may be devastated because no parent, and no grandparent, should ever live to see the day when their child passes away, I am just… happy to have had the priviledge of meeting her. If only for seven years." Emma smiles sadly and reaches out one hand to her father. He takes her hand and turns, teary eyed, to the crowd. "Lizzie, wherever you may be… always know that you will live forever in the hearts and minds of all who live in this town… your mother and father, they will forever be proud to have called you their daughter. All your family, your brother Henry, your uncle Neal, and all of us who knew and loved you… we will love you deeply, sweet pea, forever." He finally breaks down completely. "Safe travels, Lizziegirl…"

After the mourners are gone, Killian and Emma Jones stand close together, looking sadly down at the spot where the flowers seem, embracing each other. Killian retrieves a white rose from his jacket, and genty deposits a soft kiss on the white petals. Emma does the same.

"Sweet dreams, my little angel." He whispers with a broken voice and a fresh batch of tears in his eyes. "Your daddy loves you… and your mommy too. So very much. We will miss you, darling, dreadfully so. Please forgive us… forgive us, for we were unable to do what we were supposed to, and protect you from this…fate." Emma cries loudly into his coat lapel, and Killian doesn't know at that precise moment what breaks his heart the most, his little child's passing or the devastation of the Swan's heart, whcih he is helpless to mend.

With a sad sigh, he gently casts the rose into the water. "Farewell, my love, my little one… my… " He finally heaves and completely breaks into loud tears. "…my Lizzie…"

They both collapse on the floor and cry together, holding each other tight, for there is no logic in not crying for the most beautiful little girl on earth: their daughter, Princess Emma Elizabeth Jones, who was claimed by the sea two weeks earlier.

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On the shore of a distant land, a woman paces along the coast, searching for cockles she might find to sell in the market. But this morning, the tide has brought something rather unusual.

"Oh dear… is that…?" She gasps, and runs, only to return a few moments later. "Look, Myra, is that…?"

"It's a child!" the other woman exclaims as she drops her basket and runs towards the limp little figure lying face down on the beach. She turns her around and sharply inhales when her eyes are greeted by a beautiful pallid, white face with specks of sand dusting her cheeks, jet black strands of hair stuck to her skin, eyes closed.

"Is she…. Dead?" The other woman asks.

The woman called Myra places her fingers on the child's neck and exhales with a smile. "No, she lives, she's got a beating heart!" she gives the little face gentle slaps, and shakes it between her fingers. "Child? Child! Wake up!"

It takes a few tries, but after not too long, the little girl coughs and spews a small amount of salt water, as she gasps for air.

"She lives!" The woman breathes a smile of relief. "My child, who are you? What is your name, my poppet?"

The girl opens her eyes and the women are greeted by beautiful cerulean pools. She looks at them in turns. "Wh… who are you?"

"Aw, be calm now lass." The woman not holding her smiles as she helps her sit up. "My name's Midge and this is my sister Myra. We live 'ere. Who are you child? Did you survive a shipwreck?"

"The Merry Swan… Oh no…" she stands up suddenly and the impulse makes her dizzy, but she finds her balance even as she is breathing hard. "Mommy? MOMMYYYY!" She screams as she looks around. "Daddyyyyyy! Where are you?"

She looks back at the two women. "A… are there any other people here? I was in a boat, the Merry Swan, it's my dad's. A storm hit us! Where's my mom and dad? PLEASE I HAVE TO FIND MY MOM AND DAD!" She cries in angst as the woman called Midge embraces her. She smells of fresh fish and sand, a smell the young girl is all too familiar with regarding the sea fairing folk her father deals with. "Now now little one. We shall find them, dear, not to worry… now…" She kneels and lifts her face with two bony fingers. "What is your name, lassie?"

The girl pulls herself together. "M… My name is… Emma Elizabeth Jones… My father is Killian Jones and my mother is Emma Swan. Or Emma Jones. She answers to both names. Please…" She begins to sob. "Please help me find them!"


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: TEARS OF JOY, TEARS OF WOE.

 **Seven years earlier.**

It was six months after their wedding and final battle that Emma discovered she was pregnant with Killian's baby. The night she came home after visiting the doctor under the pretense of working an extra hour (it had been Killian's day off and he had, as he now frequently did, taken Henry sailing), she stopped by the boutique to buy a special gift for the pirate gone sheriff. That and a sizeable slice of blueberry cheesecake, something he had developed a particular taste for.

He wasn't home yet, so Emma settled in for a warm lavender bath and her thoughts. A baby… a second chance at being a parent from the getgo, raising the child and loving it from the moment it drew its first breath! The mere notion of this excited her and, if she knew her pirate husband at all, she knew he would be beyond thrilled.

The sound of his rustling keys and the thunk of boots on hardwood drew her attention and she smiled, pulling herself out from the tub.

"Emma? Are you home, love?"

"Yeah, just getting out of the bathtub! Be right down!" She shouted back.

She herd him pace to the kitchen as she wrapped herself in his black bathrobe and tied her hair up. She had left the pie served on a plate, next to a little box labelled, "A very big present for my dashing husband, love from Emma". She'd miss the look on his face, but she knew him well enough to understand he would need a few seconds of solitude to process what was in the box.

The silence that ensued confirmed exactly what she knew he'd do. He'd open the box and see the contents, and he would take a few seconds to understand that the little yellow boots, roughly the size of his own thumb, were the very first garment of his very own unborn child. She silently stepped down the hallway and the stairs and sure enough, the black leather-clad figure of her Captain stood with his back to her, holding up the booties and hardly breathing as he looked at them.

She cleared her throat and he turned, eyes shining, and what looked like a surprised demeanor. "Swan…"

"So… you like your gift?" she grinned, leaning on the wood pillar by the kitchen door.

Killian paced to her, eyeing this beautiful creature that was now his wife, smiling at him. "You… you carry my child…" he said, not asking. "You are with child…"

"I am." She grinned and spoke softly, looking at the boots in Killian's hand. "I confirmed it today."

He smiled in silence and chuckled, a tear finally escaping down his cheek, looking down at the boots. "I never… I never imagined in over two centuries I'd ever…" he trailed off and laughed softly.

She paced towards him and raised her hand to his cheek. "Me neither. But hey… This house needs occupation, it's got five rooms, it's too big for just the three of us." He raised his eyes to her and smiled, and she caressed the tear off his skin with her thumb. "Are you happy, Killian?"

"Happy?" he whispered as he exhaled through a gleaming smile. "Emma... You have always made me happy, but this day… you have made me a father… and that, that is the kind of joy that indeed has no measure." He laughed and held her tight. "I am not happy, Swan, I am delighted beyond words!"

She held him back and when they pulled apart, he studied her face warmly. "Are you well? The babe?"

"We're fine!" She nodded happily. "It's weird, I had all the symptoms with Henry, but this one? The only reason I suspected it was because I'm about a week late. No sickness, no dizzy spells…"

"Henry was always a little spitfire." He smiled back and caressed her arms. "Oh, Emma… our child. A son… or a daughter, made by us." A small shadow fell over his eyes as he looked into her eyes. "Do you… think I will make a fine father? I'm afraid I've not much of an example to go on. "

"Killian…" Emma reached to the back of his head and ran her fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck. "If your relationship with Henry is any sort of example, I do trust you'll make a great dad for our kid. But… you know, one thing at a time. I need to see Whale tomorrow. Pre-natal. It's kind of a big deal in this realm."

"Aye, the medic." Killian nodded. "And… who else knows?"

"For now, just him, you and me."

"Who shall we tell first?" he smiled from ear to ear, giddier than a school boy. "Bloody hell, I mean… I can't wait for the world to know!"

Emma frowned. "Well, where is Henry? I thought he'd gone sailing with you and I was hoping I'd be able to tell you both."

"Aye, well he said he forgot his nightwear at Regina's, so he will be over soon enough." He hugged her again. "Emma…. This is indeed the biggest bestowment I've ever had. Thank you , love. Thank you…"

"Why are you thanking me? You're the donor."

As they chuckled in each other's arms, the heard the steps of the teenage boy going up the wooden stairs of the porch.

"Should you tell him, or should I?" Emma shrugged.

"Oh… allow me." He smiled and cleared his trhoat as he placed the boots behind his back.

Henry stepped in and turned, stopping in his tracks to find a grinning mom and stepdad on the foyer. He narrowed his gaze and his eyes averted from one to the other. "Okay… are we going to Disneyland or… what's with the cryptic smiles, guys?"

Killian and Emma exchanged a grin and the Captain took a step forward. "We've something to show you, lad."

"Ok…"

"Close your eyes."

Henry closed his eyes and sighed.

"Right. Now, hold your hands out."

"Killian, what are…?"

"It's a surprise m'boy, go on."

With a sigh, Henry held his hands out and Killian gently placed the baby boots on his hands. "Right. Open your eyes, Henry."

When the teen boy opened his eyes, he blinked a couple of times, looking at the tiny footwear, and he shot his eyes up at his mom with a gasp. "NO WAY!" He smiled. "MOM?"

Emma raised her eyebrows and grinned as she nodded. "Yeah kid. We're adding one to our little family here."

"Wow… WOW!" He jumped to his mom and hugged her, and then turned to Killian with an equally affectionate hug. "You guys! I'm gonna be a brother!"

"That you are, Henry." Killian smiled, also embracing the boy he'd come to love as his own son, and his wife, the savior.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So have the two of you thought of any names?"

It amused Emma to no ends whenever she thought that this woman was the same woman who had so desperately tried to anihilate her with a posioned turnover only three years earlier. Now, they sat eating a sundae together on a patio table at Granny's, like some sort of teenage posse. She was already five months into gestation and the smell of Granny's kitchen seemed a bit overwhelming to her sensitive nostrils.

"We don't even know if it's a boy or a girl yet." Emma shrugged, scooping and taking the rich creamy spoonful into her mouth. "I mean, Killian suggested his father's name."

"Really?" Regina frowned. "I thought he hated that man."

"He did. A long time ago. But… He feels guilty because… you know…"

"I do know, Emma. Not proud of it." Regina shook her head and took a large spoonful of ice cream. "And just what was the name of daddy dearest?"

"Brennan."

Regina widened her eyes. "It's actually not too bad!"

"David Brennan Jones." Emma added. "Because of my dad."

"Oh, wait, I take it back, that's just unfair to the kid."

Emma chuckled.

"And if it's a girl?"

"We both have our heart set on Elizabeth. It was his mother's name. Henry wants us to name her Emma, but…" She wrinkled her nose. "I don't know, I've never been into that whole 'name your kids after yourself' thing…"

Regina thought for a minute. "Emma Elizabeth Jones…" she grinned and nodded. "It's actually pretty powerful. She'll need a strong name."

Emma frowned. "What are you talking about?" Scoop, scoop and scoop.

"Emma, " Regina shook her head. "You are the product of true love, and look at what you can do. You're the most powerful witch I've ever met. Now, imagine your child. He or she, will be the product of true love, twice over!" She grinned. "Can you just imagine what the kid will be capable of?"

Emma hummed and sat back. "Yeah, well, we both know that this whole magic thing is not all it's cracked up to be. The price sometimes is just too steep."

"Regardless, if the child is born with that skill…"

"I don't know Regina…"

"…it would be completely unfair not to teach him or her to use it and control it."

Emma sighed. "We will see."

"What does Hook think about that?"

"Huh…" Emma shook her head. "He's always defended my magic and my skill, I have a feeling he'd be the first to bring the kid up for you to train her."

Regina laughed and nodded. "Gesture appreciated. However, I think you're far more skilled than I, Emma, and I think it would be for you to undertake this endeavour. And make no mistake; your baby will be born with magic." She looked at her watch. "Oh… damnit."

"What is it?" She looked at her former foe turned best friend, as she gathered her jacket from the back of the chair.

"There's a town hall meeting regarding the paintwork on main avenue. I forgot all about it. Ugh." She looked at Emma. "Tell Granny the tab's on me, ok?"

"No I got it, you go on."

"Will you be ok?"

"Yeah! Killian will be over any minute." She waved her friend goodbye and sat to finish the glorious sundae before her face.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Captain?"

"Yes…"

"You have a daughter. "

"A… daughter?"

Dr. Whale smiled and nodded. "Came in with a powerful thud and an even stronger pair of lungs, I might add. 7.8 pounds, full head of dark hair and perfectly healthy."

Killian huffed through his huge smile as David patted him in the back, with Henry hugging him. "And… Emma?"

"Pfff. Are you kidding? The woman went to the underworld and returned unscathed, she's a trooper." Whale laughed. "Emma is fine. Fastest delivery I've ever witnessed." He looked over his shoulder and then back to Killian. "Maybe you'd like to join her? So you can meet your little one."

"Aye… Lead the way." He turned to Henry and David with a smile and they let him go, watching him as he eagerly followed Dr. Whate down the hall.

Killian gasped softly as he encountered Emma and Snow cooing over the baby in Emma's arms. Snow looked up at her son in law and smiled. "Killian, she is beautiful…"

He slowly approached and peeked to find a squirmy, pink babe wrigling in her mother's arms. And at that moment, he knew that no treasure would ever compare in value and beauty. This was treasure beyond his wildest dreams. His daughter.

He leaned in and gently touched her cheek, smiling as he spoke to her through his won tears. "Hello, my darling… hello…"

Emma turned her face to him. "She's so perfect…"

"Aye love, she's… bloody hell…" He smiled and wept. "I've no words." He turned his gaze to his wife. "C… can I hold her?"

Silently, Snow took the baby from Emma and turned to Killain. "Take off the hook…" After he complied, she handed the little one over to him, and Killian all but melted on the spot. Gone was any trace of the dread Captain Hook. He talked to her, soft words of love and devotion, smiling, even singing, and from that very moment it was plain to see that the little one would be the apple of his eye.

He leaned over and kissed Emma's head. "You're a bloody marvel Emma."

She smiled back at him, tired but happy beyond measure. "You don't do so badly yourself there, Captain."

"Maybe I should get David and Henry in here." Snow looked at emma. "They need to meet the newest addition to the Charmings."

"That's the Jones, milady." Killian smiled, still enthralled with his little one.

Snow raised her hands and laughed. "My bad. I'll go get them, if that's ok, Emma.?"

"Yeah mom."

The happy couple was left alone with their precious little princess, and Killian didn't seem to be able to get enough of her. "Oh, my princess, my angel…" He kept repeating. "I'm your dad… aye, I am your dad. And you and I will be having a great life… I'll teach you how to sail, like your brother Henry. And you'll be this realm's little pirate princess…" He reached to touch her little hand and was suddenly zapped with a mild shock. "Bloody hell!" He tunred to Emma. "Swan, your daughter just gave me a shock!"

Emma giggled. "Yeah, well, Regina did warn me chances were she'd be born with magic."

"Is that what that was?"

"It's gotta be. Leather doesn't conduct electricity."

"Huh… so let me rephrase that then, my angel…" she turned back to his daughter. "You will be this realm's little pirate witch princess." He looked to Emma. "Just like your mother."

"I'm not a pirate."

"You're a pirate's wife."

"That doesn't make me a pirate."

"Your mother is quite argumentative, darling babe. Pray that that is one think you avoid inheriting, if you please."

Emma smiled and reached out, touching his leg. "How do you feel, daddy?"

He sighed and looked to his wife. "Born anew, Emma. Born anew." He looked back to his now sleeping daughter and gently kissed her little forehead. "Welcome to the family, Emma Elizabeth."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

 **Two Weeks Ago**

Emma woke up gasping for air. "That a girl, just… come on, Emma, get it all out."

She sat up in Killian's arms and reached for his cheeks. "Wh… are you ok?"

"Aye, I do believe I may have broken an ankle, love, but I'm well." He held her hard and kissed her forehead. "Bloody hell Swan, for a second I thought you were gone as well…"

"As well?" Emma sighed and closed her eyes, but suddenly they shot open. "Killian, where's Lizzie?"

He gulped. "I… I don't know, Emma, I… I couldn't find her. I … I can't…"

"Oh no… no no NO!" Emma stood up and frantically looked around the beach. "LIZZIE? LIZZIE!"

Killian groaned and stood up, limping his way up to Emma. "I've already called out her name, love. I have been looking for both of you for three hours and only just found you." He shook his head, tears again forming in his eyes. "We need to call the coast guard to help us."

Emma looked terrified. "K… Killian what the hell happened?"

"Bloody boat capsized." He ran his hand through his hair,, his voice broken. "IThe storm, it…. It came out of nowhere. Gave no signs, no winds, nothing. When the vessel flipped, I held on to you and Lizzie but… the storm pulled us all apart."

"P… pulled us apart?" Emma sneered at him. "What's the matter with you? YOU LET HER GO?".

"I let BOTH of you go!" He shook her by the shoulders. "Don't you understand, Swan? The storm pulled us apart!"

"Pulled us apart MY ASS! You let our daughter go!" she shouted angrily at him. "What the hell's the matter with you? You're supposed to be a goddamned Captain!"

"AND YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE SAVIOR AND YET, HERE WE ARE!" He shouted back.

Emma gasped and her lower lip began to quiver. Killian stepped back and closed his eyes. "Emma… Emma forgive me…" He reached out for her and gently grabbed her arm. "Look, let's just… let's not quarrel, love. Let's just find our little girl, aye?"

Emma nodded desperately and looked up into his eyes. "I'm sorry too…"

They embraced and kissed swiftly before resuming their quest.

They spent the whole morning and the better half of the afternoon at that beach shouting her name and looking along the entire coast, cold and wet, desperate and distraught, until the coast guard finally responded to their call and began the search, a search that would yield no desirable results.

xxxxxxxxxx

 **Two days ago**

The quivering little girl sat in a hut, drinking the broth the two cockle harvesters had given her.

"Whatdya think, then? She does 'ave 'is looks, don't she?" Midge spoke softly.

Myra sighed and shook her head. "I do find it 'ard to believe the dread Cap'n settled down long enough to 'ave 'imself a family, although, if I remember, last I 'eard 'e was with this no good woman, Milah. Remember 'er? Tall skinny, blue eyes…"

"Oh aye, I remember 'er. But the child says she's not the one. She mentioned someone named Emma Swan."

"Per'aps we'd sooner take this with the See'er. She'll know 'eads from tails."

Lizzie sat shivering and softly sobbing underneath the blanket, trying to remember what had happened.

It had been a perfect day to sail. She had learned much from her father in the arts of navigating a vessel, and she knew well that storms come with notice. This, however, was a storm none had expected. She and her father had been launched from the helm, and her mother had fallen in fterwards while a massive swirl of water had engulfed and sunken The Merry Swan. She remembered the exact moment her grip slipped from her father's hook and how it felt to be dragged by an unseen force into a spinning vortex from which she thought she'd never come out alive. And yet, here she sat.

Where was 'here', anyway?

She stood and placed the mug with broth on the floor, and turned to the women. "E… excuse me…" she spoke softly. "I… I thank you for your kindness, but… I need to find my parents. "

Midge approached the girl and caressed her hair. "Aye, m'dear, we are working on that. We will take you to a lady that sees all, and she will tell you where they are…"

"Well…" Lizzie nodded. "…for now, I'd… like to know where I am, please. What land is this?" she gulped. "Is this the Enchanted Forest?"

"Oh heavens, no!" Myra smiled kidly. "Misthaven's a ten day's sail from here. Is that where your parents hail from?"

"Ehm… I guess." Lizzie replied. "Please… where am I?"

"This is Shoreman's Cove, dear. It's a Pirate's Island." Midge replied. "But do not worry yourself m'dear, we know 'em all and they leave us well alone."

Lizzie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! My father, he's a, well, he was a pirate once. Maybe someone here will know him? He went by…"

"Captain 'ook, aye." Midge cut in again. "We kenw 'im well enough, but we've not seen the likes of 'im for over thirty years! Was 'e in the original curse? The one cast by the queen of Misthaven?"

Lizzie sighed. "It's a long story. Listen, yes, my dad IS Captain Hook and my mom is The Savior, daughter of Snow white and Prince David. They are married. I'm their daughter and if I know them they're probably having a huge fit right now…" she gulped. "If they survived."

"Aw child…" Myra rubbed her shoulder. "If I knew our Killian jones, he always, always survives."

"Aye, and if he married the famous Savior it can be guaranteed she lives as well. Only one way to be sure, though."

"How?"

Midge nodded. "The see'er. She will tell us all we need to know for you to find your mom and dad., all right? Just… one thing dear: Tell no one in the village about your parentage. Pirates are competitve blokes, they might want to take advantage of the fact that you are the child of a fairly strong rival. Not to mention, the offspring of a princess. You are worth your weight in gold to 'em."

"Ok… ok I won't say a word."

Myra turned her face to Lizzie. "As far as you know, you are our niece, and your name is… Molly. All right?"

"Yeah, Molly, got it."

"And you're mute and deaf also. Let us do the talking, child."

"Fine."

"Come now. Finish your broth. We will see her tonight-"


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: SEARCHING HIGH AND LOW

 **THREE YEARS EARLIER.**

Killian came home one morning after a night shift to find the contents of his wooden chest, kept at the foot of his and Emma's bed, scattered across the hardwood floor of his bedroom. Emma stepped out of the bathroom with a whimsical look on her face as she pased by her husband, a towel wrapped around her wet hair.

"Swan, what in blazes…?"

"Shh… there is a certain pirate kid who is convinced her pirate dad won't find her and the treasure she holds." She whispered, as her eyes pointed towards the chest. She bit her lip with an amused giggle, and went past Killian to look through her drawers for clothes and makeup.

"Ohhh…" Killian smiled and nodded. "So it seems, there is another pirate in the room then, eh?" A little giggle sounded from the chest and he had a hard time not bursting into outright laughter. "Very well, then. I shall track down this scoundrel, find her, take the treasure from her hand and have her walk the plank! I wonder where she be?" He paced noisily around. "Where, oh where, oh where…"

Emma frowned as she rummaged through the contents of her boudoir. "What the hell…?" She looked at Killian. "Hook, did you take my eyeliner?"

"Shh." He turned to his wife, playfully. "I am on a quest, Swan, can't you see that?" At the same time he mimicked a shrug and a silent "no" at her, before resuming his game. "Wheeeeere is this rapscallion? Wheeeeere is this thieving lil' git?"

Emma looked in her purse, her jacket pocket, under the pillow, the bedside table drawer, and even went through the jacket pockets of Killian's leather coats hung in the closet. "This is just… "

"Aha!" He flipped the chest open. "There is the scoundrel I've been see…."

When the child raised her little toothless girn to her dad with insane laughter cackles, Killian exploded into uncontrollable laughter. "SWAN! I found your eyeliner buried with the treasure!"

When Emma joined Killian, she gasped. "Oh, my God! Lizzie!"

The child had taken to painting her face: A twirly moustache, an eye patch and a beard. "I'm a pirate!"

It was hard for Emma to even stand and she could swear she may have even peed a little. "I gotta take a picture of this!" She ran to her phone and turned to her daughter. "Smile there, you little bad egg!"

The child smiled fully, displaying an adorable toothless grin. Her front teeth had fallen early, only a few days before. "Killian, stand next to your daughter, please!" Emma smiled. Lizzie held up a drawing as her dad placed an arm around her and Emma shot the picture. "This is solid gold, I swear to god!" She placed the phone down and looked at her daughter. "We need to wash that off, kid, or you'll be looking like GusGus after a hard day's work for the rest of the week."

"But my daddy was gonna make me walk the plank!"

"And to that I hold, you scoundrel, but not before I retrieve the treaure form you. Just what are you holding there, Captain Lizzie?"

The girl handed the drawing to her dad, and Killian smiled fully. His heart melted: It was a crayon drawing: Henry, Emma, herself and her dad… and he held a little crocodile by the tail.

"Oh darling…" He crouched in front of her. "Is this for me?"

"Yes daddy." She pointed at the crocodile. "Henry told me you were always hunting for a crocodile and that you never caught it, so … " she tapped her little finger on the hastily scribbled alligator. "Here you caught him by the tail."

That brought another bout of laughter from both her parents, and Killian squeezed her with a kiss that stained his own face with black eyeliner. "Well, thank you, little one. This is indeed the greatest treasure. Look, Swan, I finally caught myself a corocodile, it seems. Best that it happened this way. And you…" He suddenly picked her up and the child squealed as he spun her in circles. "You don't escape the plank!" he threw the child on the bed and she landed with a bounce, laughing her little head off.

"Killian! I just changed those sheets!" Emma grimaced. Indeed, the pale blue linen now sported large black smeers. Killian narrowed his eyes and smiled mischievously, as he collected his daughter from the little heap of laughetr she had curled herself into.

"Aw Emma. Maybe you just need to pirate yourself up a bit yourself. " He turned to Lizzie. "Go on love, kiss your mommy's face till she's as dirty as any pirate ought to be."

"No no nooo…" Emma laughed as the girl jumped into her arms and intentionally rubbed her dirty face into her mom's. She turned to Killian, looking pretty much like a chimney sweep. "She gets this from you, Hook."

"Proudly. Now, get that talking phone of yours, Swan, and let's get a proper picture of what a real pirate family should be!" After Emma took the picture, Killian turned to her daughter and sighed with contentment. "Seems you'd make a hell of a pirate… So I think its time you become one." He removed his charms from his neck, the skull and blade he wore as an amulet, and placed them around her daughter's neck. "These have kept me adrift through many a storm. Your mother holds my lucky ring, and now you hold my safety charms. Wear them well, Lizzie girl." He kissed her forehead. "You are my adoration, little one."

The girl gasped and threw her arms around her father's neck. "I love you too daddy!"

Emma happily printed the photograph later that same day, and placed it in a picture frame. The selfie showed three smiling, dirty faces. No one in town had ever been happier than the Jones family at that moment.

Emma never again saw her eyeliner.

xxxxxxxxx

 **THREE DAYS AFTER THE FUNERAL**

Emma hand't wanted to open the door to Lizzie's room for the last three weeks. But this time she finally found the pluck to do so, with a large box in her hand. She was a creature of habit, and habits of the sort she had developed as a child always moving from one place to another, died hard. She had to move on. She had to let go, move on and get on with her life.

Only this time it was harder, much, much harder than ever before.

Just by opening the door, she caught the smell of her daughter: soft and soothing, hard to describe, and just… her. The curtains were still drawn, her bed unmade, her books scattered on the floor and her schoolbag on a chair in the corner. Drawings and posters pinned to the wall and her little red jacket flopped over the wooden foot of her bed.

Emma had a hard time staying on her feet.

She paced in abruptly and threw the curtains open, opening the window to allow the intoxicating sweet smell of her daughter to evaporate. Perhaps, she figured, the quicker she managed to pack everything out of sight, the easier it would be to get on with life.

Hastily, and trying hard not to let the tears take over, she opened the closet and haphazardly began throwing clothes into the box. "She's gone, she's not coming back, she's gone…" She kept repeating to herself as each garment fell into the void of the cardboard container.

She did the same with toys, books and other things, and was about to pull the sheets from the bed when the picture she had taken of her aged only four made her stop dead in her tracks. She dropped the box and simply paced quietly towards the desk: Three faces, all covered in black eyeliner smeers… one of the happiest days of her life.

She collapsed on the floor then, heaving, crying and caressing the photograph with her fingertips. "She's gone… she's not coming back…"

Once, her father had told her she needed to learn how to grieve. The truth was, she had no idea how the hell that was done. She had always had to stand up for herself and any losses she had ever experienced always had to take a backburner to survival. But here, she was not in danger. She was at home, with nowhere to be, nowhere to run to and no need to escape. This was finally a loss she had to face head on.

When Henry had fallen into the curse and she thought he was dead, the grief had been overwhelming but momentaneous, because she kissed him awake and the curse was broken. With Neal's passing, she had to focus on keeping Henry safe from the wicked witch. When Killian had died and gone to the underworld, she concentrated all her energy in getting him back and then, after she failed, her pain was clouded by Robin's sudden passing, andly to have Zeus give her love back to her, unscathed. But this time… this time was different. No body was ever retrieved. Her magic had been unable to locate her in this or any realm.

Her daughter was dead.

"No… NO NO!" She screamed and pressed the framed little image to her chest, as she rocked back and forth, the reality hitting her hard, like a locomotive to the heart. "My baby! My little girl… no…. Lizzie…. Why? WHY?"

Killian was there in a flash. The image of his beautiful wife, all crumpled on the floor amidst partially packed boxes, a mess of tears and agony, broke his own heart. He paced to her and gently kneeled beside her from her back, holding her to him. "Shhh… it's ok, my love… We will be ok…."

He darted his eyes around the room as he tried to soothe the wretching sobs. He knew why she had tried to pack her things away; but he also knew it was an excercise in futility. This was their daughter, not just another old lover to be cast into oblivion. She knew it too.

After a few minutes she finally turned to him and held him back. "Oh, Killian…" she only sobbed softly now. "She's gone… she's not coming back, she's not coming back…"

"I know, Emma. Shh… " he caressed her hair and kissed her temple. "It's ok to cry, my love. For both of us. It's ok. You don't have to start packing her things right away, Swan. I will help you to do so when the time comes."

"It hurts so much…."

"Aye, that it does." His voice broke as his gaze captured the picture frame now on the floor. "It does. More than anything."

"I can't say goodbye. I can't believe she's gone. I can't…"

"It will come, love. It's fine." He held her away, both hand and hook on either side of her face. "I am here, Emma. I am sorry if I have failed you in any way. I will not fail you now." His eyes shone.

"I just miss her. I miss her so so much."

He closed his eyes and nodded, suddenly lookng away with a pout. "Aye. I do too." He took a deep breath and pulled Emma up. "Come on, Emma. Let's leave this room for now. We will come back in here when we are ready."

She nodded and paced out of the room, wiping her tears as she left with Killian in tow.

He held on to the photograph.

Later than night, he left his bed, and carried the photograph down to the livingroom with him. The smell of flowers that had arrived in the last few days from sympathetic townsfolk didn't help to alliveate his headache. He sat on the couch and simply stared at her face, so perfect, so adorable… so gone.

"Forgive me, little one." He whispered. "I was captaining that vessel and… I could not save you. I could not hold on. I failed you. I failed you both." Suddenly the back support of the picture frame fell and a folded piece of paper fell from behind the picture. "what the…" Killian leaned over and picked up the scrap, unfolding it. He gasped, and the tears he had succesfully managed to hold back, now fell ion cascades.

" _Henry told me you were always hunting for a crocodile and that you never caught it, so … Here you caught him by the tail."_

Her little voice was an echo in his broken heart.

"Bloody hell… why? Why?" He dropped it all and held his head between hand and stump. "Oh, my little baby girl, why you? Why not me? Why?" He cried hard.

The soft kiss on the crown of his head startled him, but he did not look up. Emma circled the couch and sat beside her ailing husband, pulling him to her chest as he completely fell apart, much like she had earlier that day.

He was also not too familiar with grieving. And now, they had each other to make it trhough what was probably the most difficult moment in their lives.

"You have NEVER failed me." She spoke into his hair. "And you didn't fail her. Neither of us did, Killian. It just happened. It was too powerful and she was a little girl." She rubbed her hand along his arm. "Shh…."

He simmered down and simply leaned into her chest, eyes red. "Emma…. Please, don't ever leave me. Not you too. I beg of you."

She smiled sadly. "I won't. We made vows. For all eternity. And I intend tospend at least that long with you."

"I love you so much Swan…"

"I love you too."

They never made it back to their bed; fatigue got the best of both of them, and they were only woken in the morning by the rustle of Henry's keys. He had come to try and talk them into having breakfast with Snow and David.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

 **TWO DAYS AFTER THE STORM**

Having survived a shipwreck and a portal, Lizzie looked as haggard and dirty as any other of the village children she could see. Her parents had told her about their many adventures and she had been an avid fan of Henry's stories, but she never imagined she'd be having an adventure of her own in any of these far away lands. It was like stepping back in time.

"Come now, child, this is the way…" Midge gave her a little shove. "The see'er is just down that dirt road."

Having promised to mremain silent, Lizzie only nodded.

They reached an old, ghastly looking hut. Lizzie was horrified at the sight to two shrunken heads hanging by the rusted hinges of a moth riddled wooden door.

"Now, the see'er always, always demands a price, love." Myra nodded. "We might now have any gold on us, but we will see what we can muster up to pay 'er."

Lizzy felt a pang of dread in the pit of her stomach, but followed the old maids into the hut.

"Hello? We seek the see'er!" Midge called.

Silence.

Myra sighed and spoke. "We need the wisdom of the see'er to help a child find the way back home. Can she please honor us with 'er presence?"

Lizzie was quiet, but in her mind, she pleaded. " _Please, please help me…"_

A ghust of wind cruised through the nooks in the stone walls and all candles were suddenly lit. The door behind them flew open and shut and a figure emerged from the dust, becoming a haggard old woman with her eyes sown up.

Lizzie had seen this woman in Henry's book, but she had thought that she had died the moment she had passed all her power of vision to Rumplestiltskin. Yet, here she was, in the flesh, and every bit as hideous as the illustration. She reached out and an eye opened in the palm of her hand. "I know you… I know you and your lineage, Emma Elizabeth Jones…."

Lizzie gulped and the two women sighed with relief. Midge spoke. "Aye, we found her by the shore. 'Er boat capsized and she …"

"Only the child will speak, cockle-gatherers." She raised her face in the general direction of the women. "I bid you to wait outside."

"That we will not!" Myra defended. "We are caring for 'er, this is a dangerous island!"

"I promise you, no harm will come to the child. As soon as she has her answers, she will meet you again." With an effortless tilt of her head, the women flew out the door and it slammed shut behind her with a gush of wind. The candles flickered.

Lizzie gulped as the see'er again turned to her. "Come, little one. Sit there, by the table. I know all. I see all… and I will exact my price now for the aid I will provide."

"B… but I have no money. No gold. I was castaway." Lizzie replied as she sat on a wobbly wooden chair.

"Tis not fortunes I value; it's sentiment. I collect tokens of love. Say, that necklace around your neck. The charms that belong to your father…. I will have those. "

"But…" Lizzie wrapped her hand around the charms. "He gave me these… for protection."

"Aye, my darling child, and that they have done, served their purpse well. For those charms are more than just for protection. They are keys. They are what led you to this island. Now… hand them over… and through me you shall see your parents and your fate."

Lizzie pressed her lips together and sighed as she removed the necklace from her neck. The see'er took them and sniffed them. "Aye… I smell the bones of Killian Jones, Captain Hook. I smell his true love for your mother… and for you." She turned her back to the girl and walked to a counter behind her, placing the charms on top as sheproduced what looked like atiny black cauldron, no bigger than a soccer ball. She placed it before Lizzie and crunched some kind of dry root into it before sitting down, her hands (and the eyes in them) open before the cauldron. "Yes. I see what transpired. Your vessel met a storm of unnatural power… and a portal. One never before seen by your parents. You fell through. They did not. " She swallowed and began to sniff in a pungent black smoke that began to rise from the couldron. "Aye… they weep for you. They are trying to find you through every means of magic your mother posseses. But find you they will not. Not while you are here…There is one here, one in this island, who seeks to exact a price from your father." The smell was becoming unbearable. "Emma Elizabeth Jones, you are not here by chance. You were brought here. And it was a stroke of luck that the cockle- gatherers found you first, for he would have taken you and used you to exact his price…"

"Wait, wait… what price? Who wants to hurt my dad?"

"Eight years ago, before your parents wed, a trade was made to enable your father to go home. But he swindled the man for a bean. A chase ensued. The man is angered. He wants to claim his price." She shook her head. "He has resorted to the darkest of magic to create a storm that woudl take you, hsi most beloved treasure, as payment for the mishap."

"The Jolly Roger?" Lizzie shook her head. "My mom told me that story. She said that my dad traded his ship again to get home, but that the portals failed and that he was sent away to Neverland." Lizzie swallowed. "Blackbeard."

"It is he who wants revenge."

"My mother will find me. They will come for me." Lizzie nodded.

The see'er exhaled. "That, I'm afraid, is impossible, child." Sheopened her hands before the cauldron. "Shoreman's Cove is a pirate island. Here they all come to hide stolen treasure and ransom claims. Here they all hide when authorities close in. This island, it is cloaked by a powerful spell, cast by a dark wizard long gone. Only way to enter and leave, is through the use of the amulets that you paid as prize."

Lizzie gasped. "And… you took them from me? How could you do that!? They're my only ticket out of here!"

"Before the full moon, in a fortnight's time, your parents will have stopped the search. They will naturally assume the waters have claimed your soul."

"No!"

"And they will weep for you bitterly and move on, while you remain a slave to Blackbeard, cleaning his decks and serving his meals, until you are old enough."

Lizzie frowned. "Old enough for… what?"

"To become his. So he can claim the child of his enemy… and make her bear his offspring."

"EW NO!" Lizzie stood up shouting. "You said you were going to help me! How is this any help?"

The table began to rattle and the see'er looked startled. "You… you bear the light of the white wizard. You are true love incarnate, like your mother. It is a good thing. Now settle your anger child, or you will bring the roof down over our heads."

Lizzie frowned and sat back down. The rattling stopped.

"D… did I do that?"

"Emma Elizabeth Jones, you posess very powerful light magic. You will need it." She gasped. "I see divergence. The future is not set. But to save you, one will have to renounce their soul. Only thus will you to return home… and the curse on Shoreman's Cove, will end with the power of light. Many souls will be freed and the Savior and her pirate will be reunited with her child." The smoke from the cauldron puffed into a large cloud of smoke and just as suddenly was sucked back in. "The windows to fate have been closed. My guides are resting. Tis all I can tell you, little one."

"Some help."

"There is no future but what you make it, child." She sighed. "I saw two paths: one where your life is forefit to servitude, and another, where you find your own way home and break the curse on the island for good."

"I gather many pirates will be unahppy."

"But many other souls will finally return home to their loved ones. Souls, much like yours, brought here from infancy to a life as a slave. Many have been imprisioned for over three hundred years." She held her hand up close to Lizzie and the girl shuddered. This was one creepy-looking witch. "I see your heart, Emma Elizabeth Jones: The stout and persistant loyalty of your father and the kindness and purity of your mother's heart song run through your veins. The product of the truest love, twice over. You have the necessary magic in you." She reached back and gave the charms back to her.

"B… but I thought…" Lizzie grimaced.

"Aye. You are pure of heart and your love is strong. Try to find your way home, little one, before the fortnight. Once your parents begin to grieve, your chances of returning home will slowly dim, until all hope is lost and all bonds of love are severed. I have exacted my payment from your love. You are free to leave. But beware: He is on the lookout, and he will stop at nothing to obtain his price. The cockle-gatherers are in danger. As soon as you may be able to, be off on your own." She seemed to suddenly deflate back into the earth and the canles blew out as a whisper of her voice echoed from wall to wall. "Godspeed, child of the savior…."


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4: MAGIC

 **TWO YEARS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT**

After the huge burst of uncontrolled energy that had sent her father flying across the kitchen due to a homework tantrum, Lizzie looked with horror at the mess of broken plates and cups left on the floor, her mother's hand held up and her voice soothing. "Lizzie, baby, it's ok… It's fine."

"No! How can it be ok? Look at what I've done to dad!"

Killian stood from the floor, a trail of blood on his forehead. He groaned as he straightened up and touched his head to look at the blood. "Wonderful…" He swallowed, but any trace of anger fizzled when he saw the look of regret, uncertainty and (worst of all) abject fear on his daughter's face. "Iit's all raight my Lizziegirl… I'll live, darling. I've been hurt far, far worse than this. It's fine, just…" he paced to her.

Lizzie took three steps back, sobbing almost hysterically.. "Daddy, get away from me! I don't want to hurt you again! Please!"

The heat in her hands glowed harder and the lights flickered.

Emma stepped forward. "We're not afraid, sweetheart. It's ok." She approached. "Look, I've been there, I know how this feels, baby, and it's fine."

"Aye it is, Lizziegirl. You listen to your mother." Killian too, closed in.

"But I… I can't control it!" The girl cried desperately.

"Neither could I at first!" Emma smiled. "And also, I lost control once, as a grown up. And you know what I did?" She took another step. "Exactly what you are trying to do. I tried to push the people I love the most away, because I was so scared I'd hurt anybody. But you know… that almost got ME hurt. A bad man tried to take advantage of me being so alone, and… well, it almost ended up with me dying."

"Both of us, actually." Killian added, also taking a step forward. "I almost lost my heart. Literally."

Lizzie looked at both of them, her little hands glowing with light and sparkling static power. "But… you never hurt anybody!"

"I did, Liz" Emma nodded with regret. "I pushed Henry, just like you pushed daddy right now. And he was hurt. He bled. And I felt terrible, so trust me, I know how you feel right now."

She hid her hands under her armpits. "I hurt Violet. Henry will never forgive me! And now daddy! Look! I made him bleed because I am a freak!"

"Emma Elizabeth Jones, you are NOT a freak!" Emma barked. "I will NOT allow you to say that to yourself, You're not a freak, you are NOT a mosnter and you are most certainly NOT to be feared." She sighed deep. "You need to learn to control it, that's all."

Emma reached out and Lizzie jumped back. "Mommy, please…"

"It's ok."

"I am going to hurt you too! Please!"

"Elizabeth, you will not hurt your mother." Killian spoke softly. "All you need to do, my darling, is accept it." The girl turned her limpid blue eyes, his eyes, to him. "Embrace who you are, and you will soon have it under cotrol, I promise."

"And what exactly am I?" She sobbed, shaking.

Emma smiled and reached out to touch her hair. "You are our daughter, and the product of true love. You have powerful magic running through you and you will be able to do amazing, wonderful things, for yourself and others, with that magic. You are a smart, beautiful child, with an amazing gift. And above all…" She finally touched her head. "…you are so… so loved."

As soon as Emma's hand touched Lizzie's head, the sparks of energy emanating from Lizzie's palms subsided and a burst of light shone through the kitchen and out the windows. Lizzie looked at her hands. "Mommy… MOMMY LOOK!" she smiled. "You did it! You stopped my magic!"

Killian stepped forward with a smile and also reached to touch his daughter. "She did nothing of the sort, angel. It was you." He crouched beside her. "You, my dear, you posess the same amazing gift as your mother. In time, you will be as adept at using it as she is. But you needn't fear it." He caressed her face. "It's all right for you to lose control once in a while; we all do."

Lizzie jumped and hugged bith her parents, who hugged her back. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you!"

Emma smiled and hugged her daughter back. "This family has seen a lot worse. " She pulled away and turned to Killian. "OK, handsome, your kid tagged you pretty good. Want me to fix that for ya?"

"Aye, she packs a wallop, I'll give her that." He chuckled. "Look, Lizzie, see what your mother can do with her magic."

Emma grinned and ran her hand over the cut on Killian's hailine and immediately, it was gone under the power of her magic. He turned to his daughter with a bright smile, his eyebrows raised. "See there? Good as new! No harm done!"

The little girl gasped. "Wow… mom… can you teach me how to do that?"

Emma grinned at her and pulled her to kiss her forehead. "That and many other fun tricks, sweetheart. But for now, there is one thing you need to be tackling, and that, is your homework." She caressed her cheek. "We will leave the Magic for a later time."

Lizzie frowned and huffed. "But I hate homework! It's arithmetics! I'm only five! I hate math!"

Killian stood and pulled his daughter up with him, carrying her so she'd be face to face with him. "Aye, well, that's because that lady in school that tries to instruct you isn't too adept at making the subject any fun. But I know a certain someone who can make your math as amusing as magic itself."

She looked at her dad with enthusiasm. "Really? Who?"

He grinned at her and winked. "Why, me, of course. I was a skilled navigator and that requires quite the array of mathematical knowledge. I am the best math tutor you can ask for, Lizziegirl." He rubbed his nose against hers. "Now, you go on upstairs and get your books, while your mother and I clean up in here." He raised his finger. "And no more histrionics, little lady; once is forgivable, but twice is no allowance for three weeks. Is that clear?"

He kissed her cheek and placed her back down on the floor. Lizzie looked sheepishly at all the broken plates on the floor and swallowed. "Will… those come out of my allowance?"

Emma laughed. "No baby, this was an accident. God… if I had to pay for everything I've broken with my magic I'd have enough debt to sink the economy of a small country." She bent over to pick up a broken place. "You do as your dad told you Lizzie, we'll call you when it's safe to come back down."

Lizzie sighed. "I'm… sorry mommy."

"It's fine, honey, just go get your books."

Lizzie nodded and ran upstairs to collect her schoolbag and prepare to do her homework. While it had been her reluctance to do her homework that had started the whole magic snafu, she was now kind of looking forward to sitting with her dad to work out her math problems. Because he always made everything fun. And because she did NOT want to lose her allowance for three weeks.

Killian and Emma remained crouched down as they picked up the pieces of broken crockery. Emma shook her head. "She's much more powerful than I was…" She looked at Killian. "Do you think I can do it?"

"Oh, aye. I'm positive love." He replied as he placed a busted glass in a plastic trash bag he had pulled over. "She needs to embrace it, Only then will she control it fully. You know how important that is."

Emma shook her head. "She's just… so little. I didn't start making things sparkle till I was about fourteen."

"You are the product of true love. You carry quite the magical endowment yourself, Swan." He reached for her arm. "But her? Lizzie's the daughter of the savior… AND the product of true love as well. What did you expect? Her capabilities are bound to have far more vigour. But…" He turned to her and smiled. "…she is equally bright and amazing as you are, Emma. She WILL be able to control it with your tutoring and guidance."

"You really believe that?"

He reached out for her hand. "I've yet to see you fail."

Emma sighed and nodded. "Okay, then. Seems we need to set some hours apart every week for magic one-oh-one…"

"Indeed we do, love."

xxxxxxxxx

 **FIVE DAYS AFTER THE SHIPWRECK**

Lizzie woke in the middle of the night and looked around her. The sound of the crickets outside overwhelmed her as she silently tiptoed through the hut of the two friendly old cockle-mongers. She hated to leave like this, but the see'er had been clear: Blackbeard was probably searching and the longer she remained with them, the more she endangered these nice women who had helped her.

She reached for a piece of bread, a large lump of cheese, an apple and some grapes, and she carefully placed them in a satchel she found in the women's broom closet. She quietly tucked her father's cahrms under her ragged blouse and realized she'd have to find different clothes; she had been wearing her jagged Storybrooke duds and, for the eyes of a rtreasure-hunting pirate, she would stand out like a sore thumb.

She looked down at her hands and sighed. Never before had she been on her own, but never before had she been do desperate to find her way to her own home, to her mom and dad, and her brother. Never before had she needed to use what little magic she could control.

Now it was the time to begin to put her meager knowledge of magic to practice with whatever her mom had taught her.

She closed her eyes and held her palms up. "Feel love… think of who you want to protect… feel it…" Her fingers began to glow and a sudden wave of warmth surged from them, ensuring everyone in the house would remain asleep for at least the time she needed to make enough distance.

And the following monring, neither of one of them would remember her at all.

She looked at the women and sighed. "Thanks… I'm sorry. I have to do this or he will find you and hurt you. And I need to get home." She grinned and kissed the now deeply-asleep women on their heads before quietly making her way out of the hut.

The distant sound of burly, groaning, snarling prates below the slope of the hill made her swallow. She had no clue where to go, but since this was apirate's island, she at least knew that leaving through water was probably not the best idea. Perhaps a cloaking spell? Her mother had taught her how to do those more than once. It would probably be a lot better than a glamour spell. She was a child! It would not be normal to see an infant, no matter what her appearance, walking around by herself in the middle of the nigt, in a sea of bucaneers. That would be a dead giveaway.

Lizzie knew one thing: Blackbeard and his crew were seeking her out. There was no chance she'd be able to leave this island without help. Question was, where to begin? Did the dreadful pirate Blackbeard have any more enemies that might be willing to help her without pay or the value of her title?

She walked underneath the moon, trying hard to not allow herself to feel the vast woodland surrounding her get into her heart and fill her with gloom; if she stood any chance at all of getting back home to her parents, she had to block all sorts of negative emotions out of her and, as her granda Snow had always told her, always believe that there was hope.

She reached a cliffside that overlooked the ocean and she was amazed at the beauty of the landscape: The sea extended out on every other direction, the shadows of distant clipper and corvette ships glistening under the glow of a silver moon, reflecting on the quiet waves, like a shiny coin under the water of a shallow fountain. She understood why her dad loved the ocean.

She was pulled out of her musings by the sound of approaching footsteps and her heartbeat quickened its pace. "Feel, don't think…" she whispered to herself as she whisped her hand up and a cloud of lilac smoke enveloped her, cloaking her unde a shroud of invisibility. Satisfied to see her magic had worked well, she sat in silence on a rock and waited.

Two men were climbing up the same trail path she had taken not ten minutes before. No pirate would be hiking in the middle of the night with so many pubs and wenches available in the village down below, unless they were on a quest. She could bet her entire savings back home that these guys were from Blackbeard's crew.

"He will not be lettin' us off the 'ook, pardon the pun, should we not find the little welp this eve…" One man, toothless, bald and skinny, spoke in a slurr of alcohol and the need to catch his breath. "And truth is, we're no closer to findin' 'er than we are to finding the crown jewels."

"Aye aye. But you know we got to at least report that we found a clue as to 'er whereabouts, or it's the plank for us, mate. Remember wha' happened to Pete Daggerfingers last night. Bloody good meal for the barracuda!" Another heavier, tougher-looking man replied. "Aw me achin' bones. I'm a soddin' cook, not a bleedin' nanny." He bent back and stretched. "You don't suppose the brat would be around 'ere, would ya? I mean, it's the middle of the night, we're in the woods, children fear the forest at night."

"Odds are, we will 'ave to raid the houses." The other man replied as he reached for his belt and took a swig out of a flask. "Might not be so difficult where it not for the Cap'n telling us not to raise any suspicions or shed any blood."

"Get on, 'e probably was speakin' figuratively!" The bigger man smiled. "We go in, find the suckling, and slash the throat of anyone who begins to get rowdy."

Lizzie gulped.

"No, Cobbleton!" The skinier one turned and faced the bigger guy. "No blood will be shed this night. For two main rasons, mate: One, tis full moon! It's bad bloody luck if we're not onboard the ship." He spat on the ground adn spun in a circle. Lizzie knew some odd rituuals her own supersticious father often practiced to avoid jinxing hismelf, but this one was completely new. "Besides, it's the cap'n's orders and I'm not about to go provoking 'im if I'm to keep me skin on me."

The other guy nodded. "Right then. Well, best be off. We need to at least be able to say we got a lead."

Silently (and praying her cloaking spell would hold), she followed the men around, trying to catch their conversation. Unfortunatley the were now silent as they focused on the search (although they seemed far more focused on finding their footing on a rather difficult, rocky trail leading to the bay below).

"Aye. Wha' the bloody hell does 'e want the whelp for, anyways?"

The bigged guy laughed as he began to walk away. "'E needs 'er as leverage, I think… and for that, e first needs to find 'er, and keep 'er in one piece…"

"But what for? I mean, is this lass a royal? Is she worth 'er weight in gold?"

"'Ave you not 'eard?" The man replied. "The brat we seek is the child of Cap'n 'ook."

"Aw get on!" The man laughed. "THE Cap'n 'ook?"

"Aye., one and the same."

"He'd not be 'avin' a child, at least not one he'd acknowledge! What makes anyone think Killian Jones would 'ave 'imself a daughter?" He chuckled, almost tripping over a vine.

The man sighed. "Well, believe it or not, 'ook apparently lost 'is bearings completely over some snip. 'E abandoned piracy altogether. Some sort of mighty white conjurer folk call the Savior. Lost 'is 'eart to her siren magic."

"Bloody 'ell! Who'd 'ave thought it!"

"Oh aye. They 'ad this infant together, te cap'n says. And this suckling is what 'e's lookin' for." He huffed. "But we'd best be on our guard. If she is indeed the offspring of this sorceress, you can bet she knows the ways of the magical arts. I'd rather walk the plank than end up a snail on the trail we passed."

 _Not a bad idea if you decide to turn on me_ , Lizzie thought as she tried to stiffle a giggle.

"And why on earth would anyone want to take 'er for?" The other guy moaned. "A pirate's loinsprout? What could she possibly be worth?"

"Well, first and foremost, this pirate's "loinsprout" was born to the daughter of princess Snow White and Prince David, of the Enchanted Forest."

"Whoa wait…" the skinny pirate laughed. "Are you sayin' 'ook's paramour is not just a white witch but… also a bloody princess?"

"Oh aye. And the cap'n 'as some business 'e needs seein' to with that particular family. With the brat in 'is power, 'e can easily find these bloody royals and do 'is business with them. Especially Hook."

"You mean, 'is royal highness, Prince Hook of Mist'aven!" The skinny man laughed on. "Well, Blackbeard's right about one thing, 'e did go softer than a babby's stool."

"Regardless, it's important we find 'er first."

 _First?_

The skinny pirate huffed. "Why?"

The larger man stopped and turned to him. "Becasue, we need 'er in one piece; basically, this is about us gettin' to 'er first, before Blackbeard's men do, otherwise we will ne'er get her and Blackbeard will win… "

Lizzie's eyes widened. Had she heard right? These men also looked for her… but were not part of Blackbeard's crew?

Maybe this was the chance she had been hoping for.

As they reached the shores, Lizzie smiled at the sight of the vessels, much like the Jolly Roger back home. It was like something taken out of Henry's book (which it actually kind of was).

As best she could, she followed the men into a ship that read "Forsaken Mermaid Joanna". A tall, thin silhouette, cloaked in darkness, greeted the men. "Cobbleton! Spyke! So what was the catch, men?"

The two men slouched and the tall,broad-shouldered one spoke first. "We did not find 'er. Scouwered the whole bloody village for a day. "

"For all we know, cap'n, she may 'ave drowned while passing the portal. She's a wee lass, wha' chance 'as she…"

"Nay sailor. The child lives! And she's in this village." The man emerged from the shadows and Lizzie was very surprised to find a rather young and handsome-looking man that looked less like a pirate and more like an officer. "Now, here is the catch: You find her, and you bring her on board the Joanna, and you get your reward. Fail to do so… and she will be nabbed by Blackbeard. That, I fear, will be a death sentence for all those who fail to retrieve her safely. She is worth her weight in gold, that girl, and I want her alive, unspoiled and in one piece, is that clear?"

The two men saluted. "Aye aye, cap'n."

The man sighed and scratched his ear; the gesture seemed to eerilie resemble her father's common mimicking and Lizzie frowned. "Very well. You sleep this night. Tomorrow at the crack of dawn, you and three more men will be scouwering the village once more. I want that little girl alive and well and as far away from Blackbeard as possible."

The two men took off and the handsome young captain hung his head. "I will find you, Elizabeth Jones." He sighed with a voice that sounded far calmer than the voices of the pirates.

Lizziequietly made her way to a heap of sail crumpled on the far end of the bough, to settle for the night.

Perhaps tomorrow she'd find it in her to negotiate with the misterious captain of the Joanna for her freedom; Being held for ransome felt considerably better than the prospect of a life of servitude to an avengeful Blackbeard.

Xxxxxxxxx

STORYBROOKE, FIVE DAYS AFTER THE SHIPWRECK

"Have you tried the mirror, Emma?" Regina sighed. "You found Ariel like that, remember? Maybe you can …"

"Of course I have. Did you think I didn't do that first?" Emma spoke, her voice wavering. "It only shows a black haze of smoke, either she didnt cross realms or my magic is just not enough to find her."

Killian shook his head from the couch. "She… went down into the water, love." He swallowed. "If she lived though that, it is most likely she would have been dragged ashore, either here or in the next town."

"And we already checked there, by radio." David shook his head. "There are no reports of a girl, dead or alive, washed up on the shores nearby."

"Bloody hell." Killian huffed, his head still hung.

"What about a tracking potion?" Regina huffed.

Emma looked at her and her eyes filled with tears. "I… I wanted to make that my last choice."

"Why?"

"B… because if she is … if she is d… gone, the tracking spell will lead us directly to the water and…" she sobbed. "I'm too afraid."

Killian looked up, his own eyes rimed with red. He stood up and paced to Emma, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Emma…" He whispered, his face broken. "Perhaps it is time we… we start embracing the possibility that she… she might be…"

"No, she's alive!" She turned to him shaking, eyes fiery. "I know she is. She can't be dead!" She then looked back to Regina. "And if she is… I want a body. I want something I can touch! Confirmation that she is… she is gone."

"Love, somethines… sometimes the sea just claims a soul. No remains are evr found. I've lived enoug sea-fairing man to know this." He pced around, somber. "Alas, if she lives, I will be the first to leap with joy, but facing the truth, Emma, the chances that a small child like our daughter would survive that malmstrom are very slim."

Emma walked to him and looked into his eyes, determined and annoyed. "Are you giving up?"

"No. No my love, not just yet." He grinned sadly. "I will look for her till my dying breath if need be and if that is what you will of me. I still have hope. All I am saying, however…" he took her gently by the shoulders. "…is that we should not close ourselves off from the possibility that this might be a futile pursuit. Now, I will search under every rock in Storybrooke. I too, want to hold on to the possibility of finding her. But I also know this: I do not want to chase a fool's errand more than I have to, Swan, and hurt ourselves more than need be. It has been five days as it is. If, by next full moon, we have not found her…" He shook his head. "…then I beg you to allow us both to accept that our daughter has passed. We let her go." He stared into her glazed eyes and walked out of the house, to break down a little bit and away from the prying eyes of his family, hoping that, wherever his little girl was, she wouldn't think of him as a traitor.


	5. Chapter 5

**THANKS FOR THE FOLLOWS AND REVIEWS GUYS! THE STORY WILL FOCUS MOSTLY ON LIZZIE'S STRUGGLE TO GET BACK HOME, BUT BEAR WITH ME (AND DON'T KILL ME) BECAUSE THERE WILL BE QUITE A BIT OF CS ANGST, BECAUSE THEM GRIEVING FOR LIZZIE IS PIVOTAL TO THE HAPPY ENDING OF THE PLOT, SO… TRUST ME!**

 **HOPE YOU KEEP ON ENJOYING THIS STORY!**

CHAPTER 5: LETTING GO

 **A WEEK AFTER THE ACCIDENT**

Granny's.

That had always been the loction of choice for family reunions. Not that the old woman's cooking was too spectacular, nor was it the ambiance that resembled a 1950's diner. It was just the closest thing to home that the Charmings had known since the first curse. Granny was familiar to them, as were the usual customers who often visited the tiny restaurant.

It was also a place for the heroes to meet and plot.

Emma refused to touch the onion rings before her. And much as Killian tried to instigate her to have at least one bite, he too was completely deprived of his appetite. The couple looked fatigued, dark circles uncer their eyes and expressions dour.

Regina closed her hands on top of the table. "Emma, you KNOW you have to do this. You know you need to know what the hell happened." She reached into her coat pocket and produced the little vial. "I've the tracking potion right here. Say the word, and we will ALL follow the trail."

The Savior remained somberly silent and regina huffed in frustration.

Snow reached out to touch Emma's hand, her fingesrs splayed out on the table. "Emma, Regina's right. You and Killian need to know for sure. That way at least you will be able to take the next step forward."

"Question is, where to?" She spoke, almost unperceptably.

David sighed and looked into hisn daughter's ashen face. "Wherever that may be, it's a step neither of you have to take alone."

Emma finally raised her eyes to her father. Dry, red-rimmed and heavy lidded, she pressed her lips hard. "What if I don't want to know?" Her eyes began to shine again.

Killian grunted.

"What if…. What if I completely lose my mind and… and there's no coming back from that? What if all I get, is the confirmation that my daughter is dead because her mother wasn't able to save her and I have to live with that for the rest of my life?"

"Would you rather spend the rest of your life not knowing?" Regina quipped. "I know it's hard. But you need to…"

"What, I need to what, Regina? Move on?" Emma suddenly snapped. "Like, forget I ever had a daughter in the first place? Just accept that she is dead and that she is never coming back? How am I supposed to acccept that, how is ANYONE supposed to accept that?"

Killian's jaw clenched and he rubbed the bridge of his nose between his figers. "Emma…"

"Am I supposed to just say, 'Oh well, yeah, the trail leads to the water! Happy trails, Lizzie, now it's time to watch the simpsons'? I gave birth to her! I BROUGHT HER INTO THIS WORLD TO LIVE! Now I'm supposed to just… aceept that she… that… that she…"

"THAT SHE DROWNED, SWAN! SHE BLOODY WELL DROWNED AND THE SEA TOOK HER! SHE DID! SHE IS GONE!" Killian suddenly blared and stood up in a fit of rage. "I can't do this anymore! I can't just sit here idly, every bloody day, watching you wane and suffer while we are all waiting for your say so to cast the sodding curse so we can finally get on with our lives! This is a nightmare, Emma! And it's a nightmare from which you refuse to wake us both from! IT'S ENOUGH! IT'S BLOODY ENOUGH!"

He stormed out of the diner, stomping and slamming the door behind him. Emma was left sitting and shuddering.

David sighed and stood up. "I'll go talk to him."

"No. Wait." Emma closed her eyes and sighed deeply, before turning her shining eyes to her father. "He's right. I'm stalling. And I'm dragging him into this… mess. It's not fair on him. On either of us." She gulped and stood up. "Regina, keep the bottle ready. It's time to locate my daughter."

She stepped outside and found Killian sitting on the table where they had shared their second kiss, and the first real kiss between them. He was face down, hiding his face behind both his arms. She inhaled sharply at the sight of him, all leather clad… all broken. As she approached, she placed her hand on his choulder. "Killian?"

The man didn't even look up, but didn't flinch away either.

Silently, Emma sat beside him. "Killian… you're right. I'm … I'm sorry I've taken so long. I just… I don't want to…"

He raised his face to her slowly and she saw his saddened gaze, deep and dark, as it met hers. "No, love, it is I who should apologize." He sat up traight and reached with his right hand to hers. "I never should have shouted at you thus. It's just that…." He pressed his lips tight together and shook his head. "I'm also afraid, Emma. I am petrified that this… this spell will be the door that closes behind our daughter's demise." He gulped at the thought. "But at the same time… I just, well… we both need to know for sure, Emma. I asked you before. Should we not find her, we should prepare to let her go. I can tell you, I've lost countless people to the whims of time, and it never gets any easier. Especially not when its someone you love. But your father is right." He squeezed her hand. "We are not whatever the outcome… we will face it together, like we do all things." He then caressed her face. "Forgive me, Emma."

She managed a small, sad grin as she nodded. "Come on, Hook." She pulled him. "Let's go find our daughter. Wherever she is."

When they returned into the diner, the Cahrmings and regina were already on their feet. Emma sighed and reached into her inner jacket pocket, to produce a feeding bib from when Lizzie was a baby. She grinned sadly. "I… I kept this handy. For when the time came." She handed it to Regina. "Do it."

Killian nodded at the Queen as well.

Regina sighed and reached to squeeze Emma's hand gently, before taking the bib from her and pouring the clear liquid onto the tiny piece of cloth. The bib glistened in apearlescent glow for a couple of seconds, and before long, it took flight.

Hesitantly but with a firm step, the family followed the trail.

When they reached the shoreline and the bib dissapeared into the waves at the beach. Emma's knees buckled, and she only remained standing because Killian held on to her. Wherever that bib had gone to, they could follow no further.

Nothing else was said. Killian held her head to the nook of his neck, cradling it as he too, shed tears that silently fell down his face. Soon enough, they were all embracing in a family hug, the only sounds to be heard from miles, the waves crashing on the shore and the loud sobs of the saddened clan.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

 **LATER THAT NIGHT**

"I came as soon as I could." Henry huffed, putting his heavy backpack on the floor at Regina's. "I had a paper to hand in and a deadline for a grade, so it was kind of hard for me to convince the Dean to let me off the hook for a week. Law school is unyielding." He straightened up and smiled at Regina. "It's good to see you though, mom."

Regina grinned sadly and simply embraced her son. "Oh, Henry, I've missed you so much."

When Henry pulled back, he huffed and pressed his lips together. "Anyway, Storybrooke will be Storybrooke. I figure that's the urgency. Who are we fighting against now?"

Regina gulped and pulled Henry to the living room. The young man frowned, but said nothing as he let his mother lead him onto the living room. She sat and he followed. To see regina Mills get ready eyed as she rubbed her hands and looked for words was, to say the least, terribly foreboding, and Henry began to feel the brunt of anxiety. "Mom? What is going on?"

She looked up into his eyes. "Henry… I called you because… well, there was an accident. Last week… Emma and Hook took your sister sailing and…" She shook her head. "Well, there was a storm. They capsized. Hook and Emma made it to the shore, but…"

"No… no, not my sister." Henry paled.

"They have looked relentlessly for a week, and earlier today we… we finally cast a locator spell. It led to the water, Henry… and it sank." Henry's eyes filled with tears and Regina's heart clenched in her chest. "I'm… I'm so sorry, Henry."

He stood up and paced around the foyer. "Where are Mom and Killian?"

Regina shrugged as she followed him. "I don't know. They wanted to be left alone by the beach earlier, we all just left them to grieve." She shook her head. "I hate to say this, but it was about time too."

Henry turned in anger, swiftly picked up his backpack and stormed out of the house, despite Regina's plea.

How could this have happened? Wasn't Killian Jones supposed to be a "hell of a captain"? And wasn't Emma the savior? His sister, his "Lizzard" Jones was now dead because neither Killian nor Emma could uphold their end of the bargain, and he was going to make sure he got a word in about it.

Thumping hard on the door one hour's walk later, Henry stood huffing angruly by the porch of his mom's home. But all bravado to speak his mind fizzled as soon as he took one look at Killian. This was nothing like the self-confident pirate captain with a happy, flirty glint in his eye he had come to love as a father. This was a broken up man, a shadow of pain, who simply looked back at him with eyes as pools of sorrow. "Henry?" He managed to sigh.

Instead of anger, henry melted into grief, and he reached to the pirate for a hug, which was very happily returned. "Henry… you're home…"

"I didn't know… my mom just told me." Henry finally began to sob, and Killian's embrace tightened. "Killian, why?"

"Because I failed you all…" The captain wept back. "Oh, Henry, I'm so sorry, I failed you all…"

The embrace was broken by Emma's soft whisper from the stairs. "H… Henry…"

Again, the boy ran to his mother and simply held on as she once more broke down.

He refused to leave them that night… and all the nights after that until whatever services for his sister concluded.

Xxxxxxxxxx

 **FOUR DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT**

The sound of seagulls stirred the cold little girl awake… only for her to find out that the crupled old sail where she had huddled up for the night was no longer the setting of her bedding. Instead she lay in a room, one that much resembled the Captain's quarters of the Jolly Roger. The distribution, however, was different.

"Bit of a witch then, are we?"

Lizzie turned her head sharply to find the young captain sitting, his legs spread over a chair and his arms resting on the back of it. He grinned sideways in a way that was too familiar to the girl, but still not familiar enough. She rolled her eyes, remembering that cloaking spells don't really last all that long.

She bolted up and gasped, fear in her eyes. "Please don't hurt me…"

He laughed softly. "And why on earth would I want to do that?" He stood up. "Perhaps a couple of years ago you would have been the means to an end; but now, you're just…" He shrugged. "… family." He turned and poured water from a pitcher. "Tredging trhough the woods at night all by yourself is an uncanny fete for a little girl your age, what are you, six?"

"Seven."

"Ah, my mistake." He smiled and handed the water over to her. "Here. You must be thirsty."

Lizzie eyed the elaborately cut glass in his hand and then looked back up at him, squinting her eyes. "How do I know that that's not poison, or a potion of some sort?"

The manshrugged again, took a sip, and handed the glass back to her. "There. If it were a black hearted beverage, I might've died or turned into a toad by now. It's plain old water."

Lizzie accepted the water and drank like there was no tomorrow.

"Why are you here, Elizabeth?"

The girl frowned. "Wh… how do you… know my name?"

The man sat back down in the same position and sighed. "I've eyes and ears in almost every realm. Not to mention I'm quite well acquainted with your father, Killian."

Lizzie trembled. "B… Blackbeard…"

The man laughed loud. "Seriously, do NOT mistake me for that gutter rat. The only pirate I've any respect for other than myself is your father, and that's given the fact that he's no longer one, but a sheriff in your home of Storybrooke."

Lizzie gasped and walked up to the man. "You know Storybrooke! C… can you get me home?"

The man side-grinned once again, a calm gaze in his eye. "It's not all that simple, Elizabeth. We're talking crossing realms here, you don't just jump into any random hole and sail through it. Not to mention…" He looked around with a grimace. "…this ship does not have it in her to withstand such a journey."

"But… you speak of Storybrooke, you must have been there!"

"Yes. Yes I have. I was first mate ina vessel that sort of stuck around Storybrooke for a while." He sighed. "The vessel we sailed into the town in, however, was made from a far sturdier mateiral than this ordinary wood."

"My dad's ship can cross realms."

"The Jolly Roger, yes." He nodded. "A ship coveted by many, and one of it's kind. Word has it, the reason there are no more enchanted trees in the woods is because they used them all, or almost all, to build that ship. The last tree left was used to send your mother off to your land without magic."

Lizzie took two steps back and sat back on the bed. "You seem to know an awful lot about my parents."

"Not as much as I'd like." He sighed. "He is someone I thought I hated until… well, until I got to know him better." He shook his head. "I should be able to be in a place where I can see my older brother at least once a year."

"Wait, wait… your brother?" Lizzie stood up and approached him. "You're… my uncle Liam?"

He nodded gently. "Liam Jones the 2nd." He held his hand out. "A pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth."

Ease finally taking over her, Lizzie smiled fully and shook his hand. "Call me Lizzie. Everyone else does."

Liam chuckled. "Uncanny. You've the hair and eyes of my brother, but you are the spitting image of your mother, Emma."

Lizzie's face fell. "Yeah, well… maybe his eyes and her face is all I'll ever have to remember them."

"Come come." He shook his head. "Why would you even say that? I understand, you are looking for passage out of Shoreman's Cove to find a way to get back home, or at least get in touch with mom and dad to let them know you are well, is that correct?" He licked his lips. "Because I can asssure you, so long as you remain in this Island, you are completely cut off and no magic can come in or out."

Lizzie frowned. "But… uncle Liam, my dad told me you were sailing in the Nautilus with Nemo!"

Liam looked to the floor. "Yeah, well, a few years back, your dad was kind of locked into the Nautilus with us and we were sent away together. We crashed into a reef and the vessel was damaged, we had to abandon ship."

"It was never fixed?"

"It was. But it took a while and things were never smooth after that. By then, I was needing to head off on my own. Nemo gave me his blessing and then… I made my own way in the world."

"As a pirate."

"Why so scornful, lass?"

"Well, can you blame me?" She shrugged with a grin. "It's not too often that a respectable sailor suddenly goes rogue."

He nodded with a chuckle. "I suppose it runs in the family." He stood up and walked to sit next to Lizzie. "As you may well know, Lizzie, there are all sorts of pirates in this and every world, and not all of them are bad. Your dad turned out quite good in the end."

She smiled. "Yeah he did."

Liam's face suddenly turned very serious. "Ok, Lizzie, look… " he held her by the arms and spoke directly to her face, blue eyes eactly like her own. "I understand Blackbeard seeks you. Like I said, there are good and bad pirates and he, I have to say, is a bad and as rotten as they come. It was just fortunate that I happened to be in Shoreman's Cove when I heard of your arrival. If what little I know of my brother is true, he and his lady, your mother, must be sick with worry over you. Now, if we manage to avoid Blackbeard, I can get you out of the Cove long enough that you may be able to contact them, but alas, I currently don't have the means to cross the realms."

Lizzie thought for a moment. "Ok. But, do you know of anyone who does?"

Liam thought for one minute and then smiled. "Actually, I do." He rolled his eyes and sighed deep. "The irony is everywhere."

"Why?"

Liam leaned in and lowered his voice. "Lizzie, the same man who has warranted a ransom for you is quite well accomodated with magic beans. All we need is to relieve him of one, and I can escort you back to Storybroooke myself."

She gulped. "But… he wants to use me to hurt my dad. And you know…" She shook her head. "… he won't trust you. You're my uncle."

"Accurate enough. He is more than likely on his way here, he'll probably figure that my ship would be the first place to shelter you."

"So how do you intend to…?"

"I've no idea, Lizzie. But we will figure something out." He grinned. "For now, my crew have sworn loyalty to me and I am a fair enough captain that they will sooner die than betray me, no matter the ransom. However, I need to find a place to conceal you, one where Blackbeard would not think to look for you." He frowned thoughtfully. "If I can keep him distracted long enough, my men can easily enough visit his vessel and retrieve a bean without anyone else looking."

"Sounds dangerous."

"That it is. Extremely. But…" He smiled at her fully. "…you're family. I once swore to destroy your father, but after I met him and offered him a second opportunity, I realized that he was as much my only real blood family as I was his. And forgiveness became the greates lesson of my life. Nemo was proud." Liam side-grinned again. "I will do anything in my power to get you back home, Lizzie. Hopefully it will give me a chance to visit my older brother, too."

Lizzie smiled and hugged him suddenly. "Thank you uncle Liam."

Liam hugged her back tight and sighed. "Family goes first, Lizzie. All the time. Now… let's think where we can conceal you in this rathole of a town, shall we?"

Lizzie bit her lip and suddenly spoke up. "Where doe Blackbeard anchor?"

"Usually on South Port, why?"

"Becasue that is his territory." She smiled wyly. "He probably thinks that is the last place anyone would…"

"..ever hide from him." He nodded with an amused smirk. "Hidden in plain sight. He'll sooner look anywhere else than right in front of his nose!" He smiled fully. "Well, well, Lizze! Quite cunning! You are indeed a Jones!"

"Poudly!"


	6. Chapter 6

**HELLO ALL!**

 **I AM TERRIBLY SORRY FOR THE LONG ASS WAIT HERE, I HAD TO UNDERGO SURGERY AND IT HAS TAKEN ME QUITE A WHILE TO RECOVER. I AM A LOT BETTER NOW!**

 **ON WITH THE STORY! THANKS FOR THE FAITH AND THE COMMENTS! KEEP 'EM COMING! (REMEMBER THAT COMMENTS AND ENCOURAGEMENT ARE MAGIC INK FOR ANY WRITER!)**

CHAPTER 6: HER INNER SONG

 **LIZZIE'S SEVENTH BIRTHDAY**

Emma was always surprised whenever she heard Killian sing. For a man of over two hundred with a dreary past and a backlog of memories and stories to tell, it always caught her by surprise when she heard him sing, whether he was in the shower, pruning the hedges (he did kind of have a green hook, after all), or even the times she secretly caught him singing his little girl to sleep when she was a baby.

But she was a baby no more, at least not by Lizzie's standards. Today was the 7th birthday of the princess, and among the many things Emma Jones was looking forward to that day, one of them was hearing her handsome husband sing "happy birthday" to his daughter. He would probably also share a few songs with David in the garden during the party. It seemed that in his heyday as a sea coasting terror of the seas, Captain Hook had been known to love a good melody. According to his old crew, at least, the one thing that seemed to deter the Captain from his moody quest for vengeance, if only temporarily, was the sound of a good melody. More than once, he had been keen on playing an old bandoneon and singing on the deck of the Jolly Roger, to have the whole crew join him in song, and according to Smee himself, few things, if any, ever made Killian Jones happier than those fleeting instances, where the darkened gazeof brooding eyes would sparkle with joy.

When Lizzie was brought home from school by her grandfather, she was welcomed by the sight of balloons decorating the front porch at the Jones home. She beelined to the back garden where many of her freinds from school had somehow arrived before she had. Since magic ran rampant in her family (and her own blood), and any Disney princess was technically either family or at least an acquaintance, the party theme this year was a hawaiian-styled luau for kids. Emma herself had taken to wear a draped blouse that displayed a nude shoulder over a shredded hula dance kilt, while Killian (ever the more serious and reputed pirate slash deputy slash hero in leather) drew a line at a flower lei around his neck.

The party was hugely succesful and Lizzie Jones (who was actually becoming more and more proficient with her magic) threw her own firework show, much to her mother's delight and her father's undying admiration for what his beautiful women could do with their magical skill.

Once the noisier guests had left and only family remained, the party was taken indoors, where they all sat around the huge kitchen table, sharing what was left of the cake and ice cream.

"So sis, did you like your present?" Herny grinned through rough facial hair (Emma and Regina were still not quite accustomed to his goatee, because, well, he was still eleven like, yesterday). "I looked pretty hard for that one."

Lizzie frowned, wrapping her mouth around a huge chunk of chcolate cake. "Which one was yours again?"

"Lizzie, honey, I've told you not to talk with your mouth full like that." Emma tilted her head. The little girl shrugged and took a gulp of milk to wash the massive bite down.

"The globe. The one with…"

"Oh the one that has Pongo in it!" she smiled. "Yeah it's cool, Henry." She pressed her lips together. "Is it really true that outside of Storybrooke people think that we are all characters out of books?"

"Oh yeah." Henry nodded. "If I had to tell anyone that my grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming, that my adoptive mom was the Evil Queen and that my stepdad is Captain Hook, I'd probably be commited."

"I actually was, once." Emma sighed. "It was the black fairy's thing, but even I thought Henry was off his marbles, so I suppose that's how people would think out there. I used to think that way too. " she mussed the stubborn black strands off her daughter's forehead. "There was this one time, Henry and I were in new York, and I didn't remember anything, and your dad showed up and… Well I thought he was off his rocker and kicked him in…" She gulped. "Well, I wasn't too nice to him."

"I can attest to that." Killian nodded with a chuckle.

"But why? Why can't people just know that we're not fairy tales? I mean… it's all real! Look!" The little girl grabbed her arm . "Flesh and blood!"

"Yup." Snow cut it as she stood up and took her plate to the sink. "And I for one am definitely not even half as prissy as my movie doppleganger, that's for sure."

"Well, to be fair, you do sing and talk to birds, Snow." David smiled, an eyebrow cocked over his brow.

"Not to mention…" Regina interjected. "… that you did once conjure a wishing spell that had us all singing for weeks." She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Wasn't that a nightmare…"

Lizzie looked up to Regina. "Wait… what?" She smiled. "My grandma had… YOU singing?"

"Ugh, and dancing and prancing around like Julie Andrews on a stupid hilltop." She laughed before she took a gulp from her cider.

That brough laughter to the table. "I can also attest to that!" David added with a nod. "We saw her do it!"

Lizzie laughed out. "You all sang?"

"She had the entire realm singing, Lizzard." Henry laughed. "Except for Rumple."

"Aye, well, crocodiles have no vocal chords, lad. Cold blooded animals." Killian shrugged as he drank some rum from a tumblr.

Emma rolled her eyes to him. "Killian…"

"What! It's true!" He defended himself. "Every single bloody fairy, dwarf, king queen and princes suddenly woke up singing like bloody misntrels! Alas, the Dark One did not."

Lizzie looked at her father. "Did you sing daddy?"

Killian was about to deny it when David cut in. "Oh, boy did he ever."

"Mate…" Killian glared at David.

"Oh get over yourself Hook, you sang and danced and walked on tables. It was epic." David laughed. "Snow, do you remember that?"

Snow was washing the dishes. "Oh yeah." She chuckled. "Revenge revenge revenge!"

Killian blushed and scratched behind his ear. Regina turned with a sarcastic grin to him. "Well well well… the pirate has a musical heart. So what did you sing?"

Killian frowned. "Bugger off."

Emma turned to him and reached to touch his arm. "Oh come on, Killian! I wanna know too! What was your song?"

"It was the song of an angry, woeful man who seeked revenge that has nothing to do with the man before you now, so… let it be." He smiled back at Emma and darted a dark glance at Regina.

"I say you sing it out for us Hook." David Crossed his arms.

"Revenge revenge revenge…" Snow sang from the sink.

"Milady, don't!"

Lizzie smiled. "I wanna hear it too daddy! It's my birthday! Please?"

The whole table joined the plea as Hook closed his eyes and huffed. ""All right. I'll have you know that the one reason I do this is because it is my young daughter's natality celebration, and not for the delectation of you lot." He stood up and stepped out of the house, headed for the garage, returning with his old bandoneon.

"What the hell…?" Emma smiled. "Where did you have that stashed? I've never seen it?"

"That's because up till last week it was still in the Jolly Roger, my love."

Emma pressed her lisp together in a tight grin. "You totally planned to sing today, dind't you?"

The pirate blushed again. "I did not!" Then he turned around to wink an eye at Lizzie, who giggled as she stood and walked around to her dad.

"Go on daddy! Sing!"

"All right…" He stretched the tiny accordeon and then turned his eyes up to the ceiling in thought. "It was quite some time ago… Let me remember." He began to play, and soon after he found his key. "All right… this was it…"

He broke into his song and soon after, even Regina was singing along to the very catchy chorus of " revenge, revenge revenge is gonna be mine.". Once he finished, everyone else was in the mood to sing their own song, with Killian's skilled bandoneon accompanying the melodies as best as he could keep up.

Later that night, after everyone was gone and Lizzie was in bed, Killian could still hear Emma sing the chorus of his old song in the shower. The sound of water cascading in the shower stall sounded like an echo of the rain stor that had started only ten minutes earlier.

As she exited, drying her hair, she smiled at the image of her bare-chested husband looking at her. "You sing like an angel, Emma."

"You don't do too badly yourself there, captain." She smiled. "That's a pretty awesome song, we could write a musical and live off the royalties with what we heard tonight."

"Mhm…" Killian nodded as he sat on his side of the bed. "Well, I also remember you having a song of your own, one which you didn't share with us tonight." He looked at her. "The one that you used to break the first spell the Black Fairy cast on us so she coudl force us all to watch you die…" He shuddered at the thought. "It was a beautiful lyric, Emma… why didn't you share it with us all today?"

"I don't really sing like an angel, that's why."

"That nonesense is just that, Swan." He smiled at her and stood to walk to her side of the bed, kneeling before her. "Sing it."

"What?"

"Your song. Sing it… for me."

Just as Emma was about to find a suitable excuse not to sing, a clap of thunder startled them both, and not ten seconds later, a shaky little girl was standing by her parents' bedroom door. "Mommy! Daddy!"

Killian raised his face to his child and promptly stood up. "Are you well, angel?"

"It's so loud!" Lizzie began to sob. "I can't sleep! I'm scared!"

"Oh, my love, it's but a storm. I've sailed through far worse in the Jolly Roger. Come on then." Killian smiled as he picked her up, emmiting a strained huff. "Bloody hell, Lizzie girl, you're getting heavier…" He carried her to the bed.

Emma turned to her daughter. "You ok, sweetie?"

Lizzie turned to her mom, teary eyed. "What if this is some bad thing that's about to happen? Some witch or sorcerer or villain?"

Emma turned to her daughter and again cleared the dark strands of hair from her forehead. "Then it's a good thing you are in here with us, isn't it?"

"Aye, love. Your mother is the savior, and I may not have magic but I am fairly good in any fight." He kissed the top of his daughter's head.

"We won't let anything happen to you, Lizzie." Emma said softly.

"Promise?"

"Yes baby." Emma smiled and kissed her cheek. "I promise. Now, go to sleep." Emma looked up to Killian. "Do you want your dad to sing you to sleep tonight?"

Lizzie opened her eyes and looked into the eyes of her mother. "Actually… can you sing for me tonight, mommy?"

Emma would have wanted to strangle Killian for the bemused look on his face, one eyebrow cocked way up. "Yes Swan, can you sing something for your daughter? She's fearful of the storm and what better way to soothe a child than a heartfelt song from her loving mother?"

Emma sighed and shook her head. "Fine. Just settle down sweetheart. Ok?" She cleared her throat as Lizzie snuggled up to her (and also as Killian lay back on the bed with a proud beaming grin, placing his arms behid his head and looking at his wife with an adoring smile).

"Once I lived in darkness, out there on my own….

Left to brave the world alone…

Everything seemed pointless, no chance to break free,

Couldn't hear the song inside of me…

All those years of running, no not any more.

I know what I'm living for.

I'm no longer searching, turnsout all along,

The answer was inside me with a song."

Killian swallowed a knot in hsi throat and Lizzie opened her now sleepy, heavy-lidded eyes, very gently. "Mommy… do I have a song in my heart too?"

Emma smiled fully. "Well, your daddy and I made you with love. So yes, Lizzie. I am sure you have a song in your heart, more powerful than anything." She kissed her little head. "More powerful than this storm, or any other dark magic. You're stronger than you think. And you are loved. Believe me, that is all you need." She raised her now teary eyes to Killian. "That was all I ever needed too."

Killian smiled at his wife as he stood from the bed, carrying his daughter. "I think youre set to brave this and any storm, Lizzie girl. Say good night to mommy now."

"Good night mommy." Spoke the groggy child from her father's arms.

"Good night sweetheart. Happy birthday…"

Soon after, Killian returned to their room, and to his wife's loving smile. "See there Emma? That wasn't too bad."

Emma nodded with a grin. "Thank you Killian. It still gets a bit hard sometimes to remove my armor, even with those I love."

"Well…" He reached out to kiss her hand. "I can see well past those walls of yours by now, love."

"Killian… do you think…" Emma frowned. "Do you think you and I have put a song in her heart? Will she ever need it?"

He shrugged. "This is Storybrooke, Emma. We won the final battle, or you won it, rather. But we do still all come from a kingdom where dark and light magic loom large. Who's to know? But, one thing I know for sure… She has a song in her. Just like her beautiful mother always did." He moved over on the bed and gebtly undid the lace of her pajama bottom. "And that will see her through any sort of trouble…"He leaned in to kiss her breastbone. "I am sure of it…" His voice muffled by the kisses on her milky skin.

Emma sighed and leaned back on the bed, flicking her hand up to lock the door and allowing her loving pirate to make love to her as he always did: with tender, adoring devotion, always showing her that indeed, she was and never would be alone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

 **SEVEN DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT**

Lizzie tried to no avail to enchant the mirror in the captain's quarters, hoping to be able to contact her mother. But in this island, she felt completely powerless. While her concealment had worked, she soon discovered that what Lian had told her about Shoreman's Cove was accurate and that her magic her ewas at best, very unpredictable; she was able to light a candle, but unable to poof away, and the next minute she poofed but ony reappeared back in the room.

She remembered what the witches had said about her mom and dad giving her up for dead, and hated the idea of them suffering so badly; if only she could only get a message across! All she needed was to be a decent aount of miles away from Shoreman's Cove to be able to talk to her mother, or maybe Regina or anyone else magically doted who would care to be listening!

Liam walked into the cabin with a basket of breat and cheese, a couple of apples and root beer for his niece. "I'm sorry if this meal does not equate to a homecooked dinner at home, niece, but it will keep you sated. You need your strength, we set sail to the South Port today."

Lizzie nodded. "I can help. My dad taught me well."

"I'm sure he did, Lizzie, but I'd rather you stay down here. "

With a scorn that was so Jones it made Liam chuckle, an indignified girl sneered. "What? Why?"

"Lizzie, can you guarantee that you'll be able to magically transport yourself away when and if we should encounter The Queen Anne's Revenge? My priority through this mission is to keep my brother's child safe, so please, remain below deck. You can help me more that way." As Lizzie huffed with a pout, Liam put the basket on the table and then placed his hands on her shoulders. "I understand you're frsutrated and miss home, but trust me. I have learned to mann this vessel well, my men are capable, we will find a way to get you back to my brother, or we will die trying. But I have to know I don't need to worry about you getting caught and captured. Please… Promise me you will do as you're told."

As much as her stubborn Jones blood hated the notion of concealing herself, without a shot at heroism she knew that Liam had a point. It would be terribly easy to poof away or send a magic burst in the direction of any attacker, but there were no guarantees that her magic would work as desired. The girl huffed and roled her eyes. "Okay, fine."

"Good. Now, we are raising anchors in only a few minutes, you may be able to be on deck intil I tell you to hide. Shoud there be any real danger, I will use this whistle, like this…" He blew into the maritime whislte three times. "That will be the sign for you to go into the cargo hold. In there, you will find a large cabinet."

"Let me guess, hide inside?"

"No child… there is a sliding door behind it, with a very secret compartment. Move the cabinet, get inside that compartment and then reposition the cabinet over the door. We have smuggled more than men in that hold completely undetected, it should conceal you well enough. Are we clear?"

Lizie nodded. "I just hope it doesn't get to that."

"As do I, niece. Now… Eat some of this. It will be a day's journey to the south port and we will make no stops to hinder us."

Lizzie grinned and nodded. "Thank you, uncle Liam."

The young man nodded with a grin and made his way back out, shouting random orders to his crew above.

Lizzie could hear the sound of hinges and pulleys and the ship bobbed suddenly as the weight of the anchor was lifted. She was more than familiar with the moveents and the sounds of these old wooden vessels and it made her even more homesick thinking about the times she had spent sailing with her dad on the Jolly Roger.

She sat and ate some cheese. It was old and hard and she wondered if this was the kind of meal that sustained Captain Hook for over two hundred years, amazed that he had managed to live so long on that kind of repast.

She felt the ship slowly move out of port and the unmistakeable sound of sails suddenly swollen by winds put a smile on her face. She felt happy, for the first time in days, the mere memory of her sailing days enough to warm her heart.

A quiet hum left her lips, a little melody that seemed to leave her chest with ease. But as she chanted the tune, the candles began to flicker and her hands sparked. She shook her head in startlement, and as soon as the humming stopped, so did the sparks.

"Wait a second…" She frowned. Once again, she began to humm and flicked her hand towards the candles, instantly and succesfully igniting them.

"My song…" She huffed with a smile, and stood again, standing before the mirror, humming her tune louder and louder, her eyes closed and her thoughts focused on one thing: _Show me my mother… show my my father… I want to see them, please show me my family_ ….

The mirror immediately began to show a haze of clouds, and the image before her was not what she had hoped to see.

Her mother looked at least ten years older than what she remembered her, dark circles beneath her eyes, her stare vacant and drained, her hair in a pony tail and a demeanor that portrayed what Lizzie knew her to be feeling: despair, angst, fear of the worst. It had been a week since the accident and Lizzie didn't have to be a genius to figure out that by then, both she and her dad had probably thought for a few days that their daughter was probably dead. Emma sat on a sofa, flanked by Regina and her Grandma, both holding her hands. They were probaby at Regina's place, from the look of it. Henry was not around. But if her heart was wrenched upon seeing her mother, when her Grandpa and her dad came into the room, it crumbled to pieces. Snow stood up to join David. Regina turned to Emma and gently squeezed her shoulder… adn then Killian sat beside her, not touching her, simply leaning back into the sofa. His eyes were rimmed from crying and his hair looked like he hadn't washed it in days. He also looked tired, sleep deprived, and devastated. Emma seemed mad at him, both remaining seated next to one another, but not touching or talking. Suddenly, Killian hung his head and looked at his hand, more specifically, at the wedding band on his finger.

"Ive lost you both…" He said sadly.

Emma rolled her eyes over to him and as his shoulders began to shake and convulse, completely beaking down, her hardened gaze softened as she wrapped her arms over his shoulders. If anything, she seemed to break down herself after seeing the man she loved so completely broken. "You will never lose me…" She spoke, ver voice near a whisper."

Killian then held her back and cried loudly into her shoulder. "Oh, Emma… Emma…. Our baby…"

"I know…"

"I failed."

"I did too."

"Oh Lizzie, forgive me. Forgive me!"

With that, Lizzie stopped humming. Her song had been replaced by haggard sobs.

Now more than ever, she was determined to find her way back home to them.

She lay on the bed and turned around, crying for her mom and dad, who were shredded after losing her at sea. She fell asleep and gratefully only awoke when her uncle Liam told her to ready herself because they were about to reach the south port.

Xxxxxxxxxx

 **THE NIGHT AFTER THE FUNERAL**

"Emma, please, you have to eat something." Snow begged.

The beautiful blond shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

Snow White huffed and shook her head. "You still have another son, Emma, he needs you. Killian needs you. I am pretty sure Lizzie wouldn't want you to just…"

"Mom, I am just NOT HUNGRY!" She snapped.

The pale-faced mother of the savior closed her eyes and placed the bowl of chicken soup on Emma's bedside table. "Ok, I'll just… leave this here, for later." She pulled away and emma suddenly turned to her.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

Emma swallowed. "H… how did you do it?"

"How did I do what?"

"Cope. After dad put me in that closet and you thought you had lost your entire family. You didn't know. You had no way of knowing. I could have landed in the middle of a highway and gotten killed by a truck, or fallen into the sea, who knows… How the hell did you cope with losing your baby?" Emma began to sob.

Snow sighed and paced back to her daughter, lying beside her on the bed and hugging her tight. "Well, it's odd for me to even say this, but I didn't have a lot of time to grieve, Emma." She spoke softly. "The curse hit. I must have cried maybe for about thirty minutes before I was suddenly Mary Margaret Blanchard and didn't remember even having a baby, let alone holding what I thought was my dead husband five minutes before." She shurgged. "In a sense, Regina spared me that pain."

"But… those thirty minutes…" Emma heaved. "Did you feel this?"

"What is "this", Emma?"

Emma sniffed. "Did you feel like… like you have had all your guts ripped out in front of you? Did you feel like life itself as you know it is nothing more than a whisp of pain? Like… like the walls were falling all around you and that you hurt so, so much, you can't understand how you are still breathing?"

Snow's eyes filled with tears and she struggled not to let herself break down, She inhaled sharply. "Yes. Yes, that's exactly how it felt." She held on tighter to her daughter. "I held you Emma, I kissed your head. But then, I let you go. I saw your father take you away and then… I fell to pieces. Alone. My baby was gone and I didn't know if I would ever see her again. Heck, I didn't know if you would live. Then I saw your dad on the floor, bleeding… And for a few seconds, I thought, 'she beat us. She won'. I lost hope. For a few seconds only, but I lost hope. And that is the worst I have ever, ever felt in my life, Emma." She squeezed her daughter to herself. "I am here for you. We all are. We love you."

"I can't believe she's gone… mom, you got to kiss me goodbye, I don't even get that, it's so unfair, it's unfair!"

"Yes, yes it is, baby."

After that, Emma just cried and cried until she was asleep. Snow remained there, caressing her daughter's golden hair, weeping for her granddaughter and for the pain of the daughter she loved more than life itself.

Xxxxxxxx

"Dad, I found him." Neal announced to his father. "He's out in the garden, looking at the sea."

David looked up from the kitchen table. "Ok kid." He stood up and walked to the direction of the back door. "Listen, Henry is going to need some help with the paper work. You think you can lend him a hand?"

Neal shurgged. "I'm ten. What do I know about paperwork?"

David chuckled. "Good point."

"Trying to pawn me off with my way-way-older-than-I nephew won't make me forget that Lizzie died." Neal pouted. "I miss her too, I am also a part of this family. I wanna help."

David looked at his son and smiled sadly. "Yeah kid, you got a point. Listen, I know how you can help." He placed his hand on Neal's shoulder. "If I know your sister, she's probably refusing to eat and giving your grandma a hard time."

"Yeah that would be her."

"So you go up there and try making her eat something ok? She ight listen to you, you're her little brother and there is nothing she wouldn't do for you. It's time to return her the favor."

Neal smiled and hugged his father. "Is Emma gonna be ok dad? Is Killian?"

David sighed. "It's gonna take a while, Neal. Your mother has lost a great deal of people, and so has Hook. They just lost their daughter, it will not be easy for them. But we won't be leaving them alone now, will we?" The little boy shook his blonde head and his dad smiled at him. "Now, go see to your big sister. I need to have a man-to-man with Killian."

Neal nodded and darted to the stairs as david made his way out the garden. Sure enough, Killian stood there, flask in hand, staring at the sunset over the woods.

David stood by the pirate and reached out. "Is there enough there to share?"

Killian silently handed him the flask. "Have a sip and be done with it mate, I am in no mood for a pep talk."

"Well that kind of sucks becasue you're getitng one." David took a swig from the flask and handed it back to Killian. "It come swith being in the family, you know that."

Killian chuckled. "I might have known."

David stared at the sunset before them as it . "That is magnificent. Makes you wonder how anything could possibly go wrong with something as grand as that."

"Aye." Killian sighed.

They both remained silent for a few seconds before David broke the silence.

"Hook, look… I can't presume to know how you feel. We sent Emma away, but with her, there was always the hope that she would come back to us. So I have no clue how you are feeling, and I just wish I… I wish I had more to offer than just company."

Killian grinned and nodded. "I know mate. I can't ask for more from you." He turned to him and shook his head. "But it's Emma I worry about now. Our daughter is gone. And shattered as I may feel over the incident, I am not a mother, I cannot imagine how emma is feeling and that…" he shook his head. "I am helpless. She refuses to eat, she doens't sleep… I fear she may want to join our Lizzie." His eyes shone. "I would not survive if I lost Emma as well, mate. For the first time in centuries, I feel trully vexed. I do not know, for the life of me, what to do or what to tell my own wife." He looked back at the distant sunset. "She knows I am here for her, regardless of the outcome. I vowed to always remain by her side, no matter how bad things got. But it seems to me like… she doesn't want anyone by her. I cannot help her that way. I don't know what to do, David, and it's killing me."

"Aye, but I do."

The voice that came from behind made them both turn.

"Bloody crocodile, if you don't leave my sight right this moment I will gut you bare-handed!" Killian gritted his teeth, adn david had to hold him back from hurling himself at Gold.

"Actually captain, I've not come here to quarrel or even… gloat." He paced towards the captain. "You may not believe this, but I have come here to offer a sincere condolence. Probably the most sincere one you'll recieve from anyone since, unlike the prince her, I may be the only person you know that knows exactly how you feel. From one grieving father to another."

Killian's dour expression softened. Despite his malignant choices in life, he did know that rumplestiltskin had made the worst choices in hopes of finding his son, only to have him die right before his eyes. He shook hismelf free from David's grasp. "Mate, leave me to parlay with the Dark One. I need to hear what he has to say."

"Are you sure?" David replied, wery of Gold's reaction.

"David, I can wring the neck of the pirate with a thought; one would think that after more than two hundred years of feuding, if that had been what I really wanted to do, I would have done it years ago." He looked back at Hook. "No. I only want to have words regarding this event. No more… no less."

David nodded. "We will be in there Hook, if you need us." He paced away, launching a distrusting glance at Gold before dissapearing into the house.

Killian huffed and turned his gaze back to the now fading sunset. "So… what will it be?"

Rumple alos looked in the direction of the horizon, his hands resting on the head of his cane. "Oh… not a lot. Just a friendly exchange, is all."

"Since when have any of our exchanges ever been friendly?"

"Good point. But believe it or not Captain, I am here to offer my help."

Killian chuckled. "Your help? I think I may do far better without." He gave rumple a sarcastic grin. "But the gesture is greatly appreciated, regardless."

"What if I was to say that the kidn of help I have to offer is not for you… but for your missing child?"

Killian shut his eyes. "I'd bleed your eyes were I not so tired, for what you just said." He turned to the man. "My child is dead, Gold, not missing. And even for you, mocking a man who has just lost his daughter to tragedy and is close to losing his wife as well, that is a new low."

"It surprises me that none of you came to seek my aid in finding young Elizabeth's remains. I may have been able to produce results way faster than anyone."

"Aye well we all know better than to make deals with the Dark One by now. Especially when the parties interested have tasted the lure of darkness firsthand and even went to hell for it. Now leave me to my grief."

"Captain… if I leave now, you will not learn the truth about what happened that morning. The truth behind the storm that swallowed your vessel and claimed young Elizabeth."

Killian stared darkly at Mr. Gold. "What are you talling about?"

"You're an experienced seafairng man, Hook. You ought to know that storms don't just suddenly appear out of the blue. And you know that this one in particular, pretty much fits that description." Killian stood face front and listened intently. "I think you should know… that storm was not a storm, but a conjurement. Aimed to selectively claim a person. In this case, your daughter, Elizabeth."

Killian froned, stunned. "Wh… who would want to kill my daughter?"

The Dark One looked back to the sun. "Now that, is the puzzle that you may have to solve. All I can do for you and miss Swan is figure out rfom which realm the conjurement was cast. It might shed some light into the little one's dissapearance and might even land her remains back home for you to put a decent marker over them."

Killian gulped. "What's your price, Crocodile?"

Gold sighed. "My only demand is for you to allow me to help you and your wife, unhindered and unquestioned." He pressed his lips and his gaze softened. "You and I have quarreled for years over a woman who no longer even lives. But I think that in this, we have finally found a common ground." He turned to look at Killian. "I saw my boy die. I missed his wake when Zelena held me captive. You stood in and mourned the son of your worst enemy, and despite our abhorrence for one another, I have always held you in gratitude for that. You gave my boy a home when I, his own father, betrayed him. You saw him buried. And this moment, we can both say we know what it is to lose your child. That is enough for me to offer my aid in discovering where your little one is resting. If only to bring her back home to the town that saw her come to life. Back to Storybrooke."

Killian narrowed his eyes. "The Dark one offers his aid… without a catch?"

"No deal on earth will bring her back from the dead, captain. Yours was a fluke, a godly gift too big even for the Dark One. My boy died, and I know the pain you and Emma carry. Allow me to do this. If only to do right by my own son. I may never be able to repay him completely for my constant betrayal of his memory, but I can start by helping the woman he once loved find the mortal remains of her child."

With a weary stare, Killian agreed with a nod. "But I shall inform emma and the others. I will not conceal secrets from any of them."

"Agreed. You say what you must. I will be back by dawn with an answer. And captain…" He looked down at his hand and then back up at the pirate. "For waht it is worth… i am trully, trully sorry for your loss."

Killian looked down. "Thank you."

It gave Killian a certain amount of inner peace when, upon entering the house to share what had just trasncurred with the others, he found his Emma sitting at the table, reluctantly but firmly eating the chicken noodle soup her mothr had made. He joined her in the meal before he spoke to all about Rumple's offer.


	7. Chapter 7

**THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS AND LIKES PEEPS! KEEP'EM FLOWING PLEASE! ANY COMMENTS OR IDEAS ARE WELCOME!**

CHAPTER 7: THE JONES CHILDREN.

 **THE MORNING OF THE FUNERAL: 7:10 am**

Henry had trimmed his goatee earlier the night before, and the fast growing shards of facial hair had already begun to show around the previously smooth area of his jawline. "Damnit!" he hissed under his breath as he once again took a hold of his electric clippers. He wanted to look his best to bid his little sister farewell, but for some reason the machine didn't seem to give him the desired effect.

He was caught off guard by a soft rap on the door. "Just a second…" he shouted as he turned off his clipper and placed it on the side of the sink. He turned to the door and opened it to find the sullen figure of Killian Jones. His stepdad had been up since the first light and was already clean and clad in a black attire, looking calm but sullen.

"Oh… apologies, lad. Emma's using our own lavatory and from the looks of it she will be a while. I'll come back in a few."

"Nah, I was done with that thing anyway." Henry shrugged in frsutration as he rubbed his jaw. "I can't seem to rid myself of the stubble on my jaw. It's like a lawn. Not even a full one at that."

Killian chuckled sadly. "Nothing bad ever came from allowing your stubble to grow. I've had it since I first grew hair on my face as a lad a few years shy of your age…"

Henry huffed. "Well, not all of us are blessed with a perfectly full beard, Killian. Don't take it the worng way, bu I'm not as hairy as you are. " he chuckled sheepishly. "Therefore, I like to keep the hair limited to my mouth and chin, where it actually grows." He huffed and looked at the clippers. "But that thing doesn't seem to cut it. Literally."

Killian nodded. "Ah. I see. I think I know the answer to your conundrum, lad. Just… allow me to relieve myself and I'll help you out."

Henry stood aside and Killian passed through, closing the door behind him. Once the toilet was flushed, the pirate opened the door. "Right then, m'boy. What you need is a good old fashioned close blade shave. Sit yourself down on the comode. I'll show you how it's done."

Henry frowned, swallowed and nodded in agreement. He had left Storybrooke for college just three years after the Final Battle, still seventeen and barely showing signs of facial fluff. It seemed that Killian's sudden necessity to teach his stepson how to shave may have been direly required a year into his education, but NYU was nowhere near Storybrooke.

The young man, now twenty one going on twenty two, sat and observed in awe as Killian produced a hand blade; he tightened a leather strap between his hook and his knees and ran the blade across it to perfectly sharpen the silver edge. After admiring the shiny sharp edge and grinning in satisfaction, he ran a face towel through hot water and turned to Henry. "First thing, m'boy: very important to open the pores, it will lessen the damage to your skin and make it easier for any stray ingrown hairs to emerge. You really, really don't want those. Here, lean back." Henry leaned his head against the wall as Killian placed the steaming cloth on the lower part of his face.

"Ow, holy shit, that burns!" Henry winced.

Killian laughed softly as he gingerly accomodated the wet steaming towel over the young man's jaw. "I will allow you such language merely because you're a man now and not a boy, just don't let Emma hear you speak that way. Or… don't tell her I allowed it, rather." Killian nodded. "Right. So… keep that there and I will work up a lather."

Henry knew exactly what was going on. As a future lawyer, he had a keen eye for behaviors. Killian had lost his daughter, and was now leaning on the only simile of a child he had left, his stepson. He seemed to be so focused on the process of Henry's close shave, that Henry had the distinct impression, for the first time in a week, that his stepfather was enjoying the moment. He was happy. The young man grinned under the hot towel and took a deep breath, allowing the moment to flow. "Killian, seriously, how the hell do you know how to do this? You don't shave."

Killian tilted his head to the side with a shrug, his good hand whipping up the brush into a bar of soap. "What makes you think I never shave, lad? I have shaved many times in my very long lifetime." He seemed to hesitate at that particular wording, porbably wondering why he'd been alive for over two hundred years while his daughter's enxistence had been snipped at merely seven years of age. He quickly shoved the thought aside and grinned again. "I very well know it can be a huge pain in the arse to do so, so I just avoid it and limit myself to clipping." He turned to Henry and nodded. "You can remove that now."

Henry obliged and pulled the cloth away from his face. "What should I do?"

"Observe… and learn." Killian sat the foaming cup of soap on the vanity and produced the blade and a hand mirror for Henry to hold and watch "So first things first, Henry. The underside of the chin. The neck. You want to get that first.". He leaned in to look at the growth on the boy. "Huh… not much there… but quite a bit right here, under the jaw. So…" He reached for the brush and evenly soaped Henry's jaw, underneath his ears, under the chin and up to his nose, carefully avoiding the nice growth around his mouth. "There we go." He then reached for the blade. "Secret to this lad, is, first of all, the blade must be very, very sharp. A blunt blade will not to. Second, always go against the grain. Upward motions, all the time. Then third, and quite vital, " He said as he began to run the blade up his stepson's jaw, the crackling sound of facial hair filling the void between Killian's smooth velvety words relaying instructions. "Never lean the blade in. It must always be at an angle, not vertical. That's a guaranteed way to cut yourself."

Henry spoke, his lips pressed tight. "This will take forever."

Killian looked slightly stung. "You'd rather use that power operated mosntrosity and complain about it not doing the job right? If there was one thing I never abode from my crew, it was slopiness, but since you are your own man now, I suppose we can stop and you can go back to…"

"No, no Killian, it's ok." Henry sat up. "I'm sorry, I suppose I can use the knowledge. Just keep going."

Killian recomposed and grinned shyly, as he went back to his work. He cleaned the blade on the now cold rag and looked back at his handywork under Henry's chin, smiling. "There we go. Take a look."

Henry raised his face and looked in the mirror. "Oh… WOW!" He smiled, legitimately impressed with the outcome. "That's awesome!"

Killian huffed and smiled fully, the sadness in his eyes not completely dissipating but with a gleam that Henry recongnized as legitimate joy. "Well, glad you like it. Allow me to finish the job, lad? Or do you want a go at it?"

Henry could easily have done it. But Killian seemed so excited and focused on the joy of the bonding, he grinned. "Nah. I'm lazy. Besides, you're good at this. You do it now and I'll tend to it from now on."

Killian happily completed the job and then splashed a healthy doze of lotion that made Henry wince and hiss in pain. But once he looked at the cleanliness of the shave and felt how smooth it felt, he was happy to have allowed Killian the honor. The pirate seemed pleased with his work. "How does that feel, lad?"

"Pretty pro!" he turned to Killian. "Thanks Killian. " He looked down at his feet. "Seems we didn't get a huge chance to get you to teach me all this stuff."

The pirate shrugged. "Ah, it's fine, m'boy. You were encumbered with your studies. I can understand that."

Henry nodded and swallowed a lump in his throat. "Did you ever… teach this to my dad?"

Killian shook his head. "Alas, he was but a boy. Bae hardly had any kind of body hair at all, when I met him, and since he remained in Neverland for the duration of his stay on the Jolly Roger, he never grew enough for me to instruct him on that, nor on how to do many things a man should know of." He shrugged. "Then I had a daughter and well, it sort of falls to the mother to instruct her about life's little tricks, and before you became a man you had to leave to pursue your education, so…"

Henry sighed and nodded. "Well, if it helps to know…" he looked into Killian's eyes, his own filled with tears. "It doesn't matter to me… who you were, what you did. You changed honorably and… well…" He shrugged. "…as far as I am concerned and for all practical matters, Killian… you… you ARE my father. The only real one I've ever had that lasted more than a few months actually being a dad. So…" he reached out and hugged the suddenly emotion struck pirate who gingerly returned the embrace. "Lizzie may be gone, but… you haven't lost both your kids."

Killian's embrace tightened, his eyes clenched tight. "Oh… Henry…. Thank you. Thank you…."

The two men (because, yes, as far as Killian was concerned, his "son" was a man now) walked downstairs to find a tired Emma, dressed also in black, waiting for her boys. The sight of Henry also brought a sporadic and bright smile to her face. "Henry…" she reached out and touched her son's cheeks. "You look…"

"I know." The boy smiled, chin up, and Emma rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

"Seems Killian's had a crtain influence on you, huh…"

"I would hope so, Swan." Killian concurred, swallowing the tears of mixed emotion that had just formed in his eyes. "He's my son."

Henry nodded with an emotional grin, still staring at his mom. Emma's eyes darted from her man to her (very adult) son, and she cried through a smile as she reached to touch the faces of the men before her. "Oh… my boys…" She pulled them in to hold them. Killian and Henry returned the embrace. "I love you guys… "

"Love you too, mom. I'm right here for you. For both of you. We're a family. You guys… we're together, we can pull through this."

The trio silently held each other before finally emerging, cleaning the tears from their eyes with knuckles and sleeves… and made their way to the dock to bid Lizzie Jones farewell.

 **THE EVENING OF THE FUNERAL: 9:35 PM**

"Rumplestiltskin has played us before…" David shook his head. "Can we trust him?"

Everyone looked attently at Killian, as he hung his head and sighed, pressing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his index. "I don't know mate… but, and despite my long years feuding with the old Crocodile, I can say that I… I didn't see a trace of his old scheming ways in his eyes. I've known him long enough to tell when he's fibbing and I can say that, for the first time ever, he was most likely telling the truth."

"But how would he know?" Henry shrugged. "I mean, how did he know?"

Regina sighed and paced around the table. "Magic creates some kind of… aura. Whenever a portal opens, that aura can be shaken and some magic wielding people might be able to feel it."

Henry squinted his eyes. "So my grandpa is a Sith Lord who felt a disturbance in the force? Is that it?"

Emma frowned. "If he's a sith, Regina, Zelena and I are practically Jedi." She looked at Regina. "How come we… I, din't feel it? I was right there."

Regina sat before Emma. "Emma, I hate to ask you this, especially today. But I need you to tell me… that storm. What was it like?"

Emma shook her head and slid her fingers into her hair, her elbows on the table. "I don't know, Regina. I… It's like I blocked it out, all I remember is the wind and… Killian holding on to us. That's all."

Regina turned to Killian. "And you? Do you recall anything?"

Killian raised his eyebrows. "Practically the same thing. One minute we were sailing, the next the vessel had capsized and I was struggling to keep both myself and my family afloat. It's al hazy after that, until I awoke at the shore." He clenched his jaw. "Why would anyone want to killy my daughter?"

Zelena interjected. "No offense, Captain." She spoke as elegantly as ever. "But even while you, my sister and I may have changed, we do have a past that ocassionally rears it's nasty hairy head to bite us in the arse when we least expect it. You, most of all. You've lived the longest, who knows who you may have wronged."

"But why Lizzie?" Snow shook her head. "It makes no sense. And why does Gold want to be apart of this quest?" She looked up at the rest of her family. "As much as I may want to believe him, we all know that even though he may trully be on our side ther has to be some kind of gain for him."

Regina looked up at Snow. "Maybe it's the kind of magic only a dark wizard might detect." She looked at Emma and Zelena. "Might explain why none of us felt it. Not even you Emma." She stood again and nodded as realization hit. "The Dark One is immortal, but his wife and son are not, and his son is still only nine. Any indication that there might be some other new villain trying to get into town or using dark magic would be like… territorial invasion to him." She looked at Killian. "You are right, captain. He IS telling the truth. But there is a definite underlying interest beneath this." She turned to look at the others. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I suggest we listen to Gold. If anything, you will at least know where Lizzie rests and hopefully…" She pressed her lips together and nodded woefully. "…bring her back home."

Emma stared blankly at nothing and sighed. "Another villain… after eight years, another villain… " She looked up at Regina. "I am not sure I have it in me right now to be the savior. I don't think I een know how to be the savior any more. I was just so happy…" Fresh tears that she didn't believe she could produce any more shone in her eyes, "…so happy just being a wife… a mother… the Sheriff. That's it. That's all."

Killian walked around the table and rubbed his hand on her shoulder, while David reached out and grinned. "Emma…we will all do this together. Like old times. The kids can stay with Granny, she did mention the other day that she misses being the official baby sitter." Zelena and Snow agreed with a nod.

"We will get to the bottom of this, mom." Henry grinned.

"Agreed, but if this is the ne plan, for now I want to pick up my daughter and enjoy the rest of the evening with her." Zelena sighed as she stood up. "What time should we convene in the morning Captain?"

Killian shook his head. "I've no idea. Gold didn't say. He just said he'd be back in the morning."

Zelena shrugged. "Well, my pretties, be sure to let me know as soon as any of you gets an inkling; I'm not leaving Robin to a babysitter more than I need to. If I have learned anything from this is that I will cherish every second I can get with my little girl." She looked at Emma and gave her a sympathetic nod before poofing away.

Regina huffed and looked at all the Charmings, one at a time. "I know Rumplestiltskin. He will probably be here after breakfast, which means we should all be ready by nine, the latest." She looked at the Joneses. "Will you be needing anything? Hook? Emma?"

Emma stood up and sighed. "No. Not tonight. I think we just need sleep."

"Aye. It's been a trying time, love."

Regina nodded and looked at Henry with a tender little grin. "Stay with me tonight?"

Henry nodded and stood. "Yeah. Yeah I'll go with you mom." He walked over to Emma and Killian and hugged them simultaneously. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. If you need anything at all, call me; I'll be here right away, ok?"

Emma kissed his forehead (had to stand on the tips of her toes now to do that) and Killian hugged the boy back with a reassuring pat on the back. "Thank you for everything, lad."

One by one, they all left, leaving Emma and Killian to the cold silence of their empty home. He looked at his wife as she focused on washing the plates. "Emma…" He touched her arm. "Love…"

Emma spun suddenly, fiercely, and shut the tap off, running her hand through her hair. "I can't believe I just returned from the fueral of our child to hear we're about to embark in battle again. AGAIN, Killian, after all this time!" She looked at him. "How do I even know I can do this?" She paced to him, her gaze changing from fiery to worried. "And you? If Gold is telling the truth and someone killed Lizzie… what will you do? Will I lose you? Will I lose you too, to anger and vengeance?"

Killian had not thought about the possibility of his darkest impusles taking over once more, but the mere notion of facing a culprit to blame for the death of his daughter could easily become a trigger that could once aain launch him into a dark quest to sate a thirst for vengeful blood. But then he looked at Emma, eyes slightly swollen and her beautiful face tired and ashen, and a soft grin traced his lips.

"Emma, before all this, before I met you, I was empty. I had nothing, I was an orphan slaveboy whose only family died at the hands of powerlust. Liam's death turned me into a pirate and Milah's murder, into a drunken villain." He reached for her shouders with hand and hook. "But now… even if we do find the villain that took our baby girl from us, I will refrain from giving in to any murderous impulse. I will not become that man again. Not when I have you, and Henry… and your parents, who are practically parents to me as well." He pulled her into his arms and she getly hugged him back. "I promise, love. I will not be weak as I was when the darkness took over me. I will not become a villain ever again." He kissed her head and rocked her from side to side.

"Good." Emma closed her eyes and held him back. "I'll need you to be strong… because I don't know if I will be. If Gold is right and someone killed our little girl, I don't know if I won't want to tear his or her eyes out when I find them."

"You won't my love. You won't. I've curved your dark impulses before, I can do it again. Hush now. Shh."

After a brief silence, Emma chuckled. "Henry has a beard."

"Aye. And a good one too." Killian laughed back. He pulled from Emma's face and touched her chin with his thumb. "He's a good lad. He's grown into a fine man who loves both his mothers fiercely."

"And his dad as well." She grinned at him. "Whatever you guys talked about, I couldn't have wished for a better father for Henry when Neal passed away. You've done well, Killian. Henry adores you."

Killian smiled fully. "Aye. Aye and for that I am grateful. Now…" he gently tapped his lips on her. "Leave the cleaning, Swan. We can do that some other time. For now, let's retire. We've a trying day tomorrow, and you … we, we need our sleep."

She nodded and sighed into his chest. "Will we be ok? Without our baby?"

"She would want us to be." He sighed back. "So aye. I've told you before, Emma Swan. I will never stop fighting for us. Ever."

 **EIGHT DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.**

Liam Jones II held his spyglass to his eye and grunted as he caught sight of the Queen Anne's Revenge docked at port. He sighed as he brought the spyglass down and swallowed. "There she is."

"Captain, shall I bring the girl up?" A sailor enquired. "To find her a hiding place."

"No, we will wait for the shelter of nightfall, Harvey." Liam shook his head. "Lizzie's right. If we play too much cloak and dagger they'll pick up on her trail. No." He handed the spyglass over to the sailor. "No, she will remain here." He turned to the man. "You have work to do."

"'Ave I now?"

"Yes. I've a mission for you. You will take Bloom and Jacobson down with you and you will scout for viable places where we can hide the girl. Avoid the inns and whorehouses, that's where his men love to spend their silver. Also, find out whatever you can about Blackbeard's whereabouts."

"I'd wager he will be wanting to show his arse 'ere, Cap'n, seeing as you are in port. He knows you to be kin to the lass."

"Aye, that he does." Liam nodded. "And that is why, by the time that happens, Lizzie must be safely concealed and nowhere near this ship. We probably have but a few hours before dusk, so be off, and do not return without the proper information."

"How about Nemo, sir?" Harvey frowned. "She would not only be safe under his watch, but he might also be able to deliver her directly back to your brother."

Liam turned to him. "Don't you think I've pondered on that option? It would be ideal, but what are the odds that the Nautilus will just randomly emerge today, of all places, in an island that is concealed from all maps by a magic cloak more powerful than any concealment conjurment ever cast? It would be easy for the girl to contact her parents were it not for said cloaking device!" He chuckled and looked back in the direction of Blackbeard's ship. "So unless that were the case, the chances of that happening are rather slim."

"I could find a hiding place for the lassie and maybe also seek out a local see'er or witch." Tha man added. "With the right measure o' gold, she might let on a trick on how to allow us to sail the bloody hell away from this place."

"Lizzie is the key to that as well. The charms around her neck? They were her father's. They serve not only as an amulet of protection, but as a key of sorts that enables an entire vessel to sail through the cloaking spell. Killian had that for two hundred years and only gave it to his daughter because he thought his days of illegal trade were long over."

"Aye so there you have it! Let's just sail off!"

"It's not that easy, sailor. The charms require a spell, one that is tethered strictly to the person who first used them to enter the cove. My brother was here many a time, and I am sure that were he wearing the neck charms, we would probably be doing a few knots in the direction of Misthaven by now." He looked at the man. "You find that sorcerer, and ask how one might activate the charms, or some other information that may enable us to leave. But Harvey…. Have care whom you speak to. These shores are crawling with Blackbeard's spies. Many of the local barkeeps and whores are loyal to him and his men. Trust no one on instant, not until you find them to be reliable." He placed his hands on his shoulders. "when you fund such a person, you come back to me, and relay your information to no one else but I. Is that clear?"

"Aye aye Cap'n!" The man saluted and nodded. "Anything else you might need from me?"

"Liam shook his head. "No. You do that. I will have Higgins and Kwame sneak into Blackbeard's vessel and search for a bean the moment he comes here to parlay with me about the girl."

"You'll need eyes to inform you of the man's every move."

"I've got that covered."

Harvey nodded and huffed. "Very well cap'n. I'll find Bloom first, gods know she's probably in the kitchen stuffin' 'er face. Jacobson was just below deck not ten minutes ago. I'll just realy your orders and I promise, sir… I will find a place for your wee niece to hide."

"Good man." Liam nodded.

As soon as Harvey had left, Lizzie emerged from the quarters. Harvey hissed at her. "Oi! You're not supposed to be 'ere!"

Liam turned suddenly and rushed to her. "Lizzie, what did I tell you? Stay below deck!"

"My magic can work." She smiled. "Not for too long, but it can do things."

Liam frowned. "C… Can you contact your family?"

Her face fell. "Sort of. I can see them. But they can't see me." She looked up at him. "I'm pretty strong but this cloak is too powerful. But maybe I can figure out where to go and what to do, or who can help us."

"Lizzie, that's no guarantee. I know you mean to help but…"

"Uncle Liam, please trust me!" Elizabeth began to plead.. "I just saw my mom and dad. They're devastated. They think I've died. The see'er told me that I have two weeks before they give me up for dead and altogether stop searching, after my funeral. It's already been a week! If my mom and dad lose hope of finding me, I'll never be able to break away from the cove and Blackbeard will eventually find me. Please. Just let me try!"

Liam pressed his lips together and sighed deep as he nodded. "Fine. Pray there are no spies around to see you work your magic out here in the open, or we will be sitting ducks."

She brinned. "No need. You have a mirror below deck, I'll show you."

Liam followed the child back into his quarters and saw in amusement as the girl closed her eyes and wriggled her hand and… began to hum a haunting, beautiful melody that had even him in trance. Soon enough, he was awed by the sight of his full body mirror, twirling and distorting into an image of a young woman.

Lizzie was thinking hard. _Show me who can help me. Show me how._

An image began to form in the mirror and Liam narrowed his eyes. There was a beautiful young woman, dancing at a ball, dressed in a flowing blue gown, ginger hair hanging loose behind her back, and a man that looked pretty much like a Prince, smiling at her.

"I don't… understand, Lizzie… How is she supposed to help us?"

Lizzie observed, holding the tune as much as she could, feeding the magic in the mirror while her own energy slowly began to wain. Who was this woman? Suddenly, a clue: She wore a shell around her neck, one she had seen before, in her father's chest. He had called it a shell-phone.

She broke the song and fell to the floor. It was a mere faint and Liam managed to catch her. "Niece! Niece are you alright?" He asked frantically, fanning her with his hand.

Lizzie opened her eyes and smiled. "That… that is the woman who can help us!"

"D… do you know her?" He frowned.

"I don't. But my mom and dad do. I know who she is!" She managed to stand up, feeling slightly light headed. "Her name is Ariel. That sea shell around her neck? She uses it to communicate between realms. She's a mermaid. She wears a bracelet so she can live as a human with prince Eric." She swallowed. "Mermaid magic can cross any realm, even this one!"

Liam began to smile. "So… if we find another shell that can allow you to speak to her…"

"She cna and will find my parents and tell them everything. And hopefully they can find me as soon as they know where I am." She smiled back. "I told you I was resourceful."

Liam laughed. "Indeed you are! A Jones and a child of the savior! You do not dissapoint niece. HARVEY!"

Liam ran up to the deck to intercept his errand man with the new specifications for his mission. Lizzie was indeed to be hidden, and he was to also find a way to make the skull and dagger charm work… and all the more, find a mermaid's talkin shell that would enable them to speak to this… Ariel.


	8. Chapter 8

**HI ALL! I AM SORRY ABOUT THESE DELAYS, I AM STRUGGLING WITH MY HEALTH A BIT, IT'S A SLOW RECOVERY. I'VE RECENTLY STARTED BACK IN SCHOOL AND I AM ALSO FACING MY FINAL GRAD TEST (FINISHED MY MASTERS! YAAAAYYY!), SO I HAVE BEEN KEPT PAINED AND BUSY. BUT I AM ENJOYING THIS STORY QUITE A BIT AND I WILL NOT LEAVE IT UNFINISHED. JUST A COUPLE MORE CHAPTERS AND WE WILL BE DONE**

CHAPTER 9: PULLING RANKS

 **A YEAR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT**

A contrite six year old girl sat shotgun to her angry mother, as she drove her daughter home. "Seriously, Emma Elizabeth Jones, you are grounded till you're old enough to vote! I'm not kidding!" She huffed. "Cutting class? You're like… six! Now I wanna know exactly what the hell you've been up to." Emma huffed. "Seven days, Elizabeth, SEVEN!" She pulled over and turned to her daughter. "Your father and I have done everything in our power to make sure you have all you need! I am teaching you magic, you take extra math class with your dad, you go to ballet, what else do you want?"

The little girl's pout reminded Emma of herself as a child; she had been a tough cat, a no-nonesense child who hated being called to attention by any adult, basically because as an orphan child growing up in a foster system, she trusted grown-ups as far as she could throw them. But Lizzie had a home, and a loving, supportive family. Emma could not imagine what the hell would make her daughter a truant, especially when she was so young.

"I am talking to you, young lady. You'd better start talking. Where the heck have you been going during class? And why on earth would you even…?"

"You don't know anything!" Lizzie snapped back.

"You're right! You're right, I have NO idea. You have everything and anything you need to be a good kid! When I was your age all I had were cereal box knick-knacks and a baby blanket in a plastic doggy bag! But you! You have a home, a family, all the support in the world, I honestly don't know what on god's green earth is prompting you to cut class!" Emma huffed and ran her hand through her hair, taking a deep breath. "I am the town Sheriff, Lizzie; your dad is a deputy, dockmaster and a reformed villain. Do you know how embarassing and harsh it is for the sheriff to show up to your school because the headmaster needs to report that MY DAUGHTER is playing hookie?"

Lizzie turned to the window. "You don't even care."

Emma felt her heart crunch and anger was replaced by hurt. "What the heck does that mean? Of COURSE I care, you're my daughter! Jesus, Lizzie, what is going on?"

The girl remained silent. "I wanna talk to daddy."

Emma slammed her hands on the wheel with an angered huff. "Yeah, of course you do. Because your dad will be won over by anything you throw his way and is ready to mollycoddle you with as little as a pout. Well, guess what? I've actually called him and informed him about your little adventures here, and he is less than pleased with you, so he won't be playing the devil's advocate tonight. No, young lady, you tell me, and we talk about this!"

"No." Lizzie defied her. "I don't wanna talk to you."

Emma didn't know which feeling was gaining momentum in her soul, anger or pain. But there was no way her six year old child would defy her authority as a mother.

"You know what? I don't care what you want, you will tell me where the hell you've been going, Elizabeth."

Lizzie turned to her mother in angry tears. "Yes, that much IS true, you don't care about what I want. You never care! You always lash out at me and get mad at me and never listen! You think I'm just this stupid little kid, well… no! I don't wanna talk to you, because you don't care! And I hate you. I HATE YOU!" Lizzie opened the door to the bug and ran out.

It took Emma's head a few seconds to stop spinning before she was able to leave the car and run after her daughter. "Lizzie!" she saw the child run some twenty yards ahead of her, long straight locks of her bouncing with every stomp.

Emma didn't know if perhaps age was finally catching up to her or if the girl was simply moving much faster due to some odd magical quality of her own, but Lizzie seemed to be gaining on some distance. More worried now than angry, Emma doubled her pace and ran like the wind, trying to picture herself a few years back in Boston, chasing a perp. Soon she began to catch up to the girl. But when Lizzie made a sudden, unexpected turn to the main road, Emma saw in horror as a pickup truck sped and was headed directly to her daughter.

"LIZZIE!" Emma shouted and threw her hand forward, the blast of white magic hurling the child into the air as the truck halted with a tumultuous screech. Lizzie landed on top of a pile of garbage cans, and Emma was there in an instant.

"Oh, my god, Lizzie…" she panted, her eyes glazed as she gently lifted the little girl by the shouders. "Oh, god, I'm sorry, I had to… Are you… are you ok?"

Lizzie was crying loud and she threw her arms around her mom's neck. "I'm sorry mommy. I'm sorry!"

Emma touched Lizzie all over. "Are you hurt? Are you injured, baby?"

"No…" Lizzie simmered down. "Are you?"

"No… well, I would have been though, if anything had happened to you!"

A small crowd of people had gathered around, and the driver of the truck trotted towards the pair. "Ma'am, is everything ok? She came out of nowhere, I didn't mean to…" When Emma turned, the man paled. "Milady Emma… madam sheriff… Oh god, I swear I didn't…."

Emma looked at the man and sighed. "It's ok, we're ok. Don't worry."

The people around began to scatter and once Emma reassured the driver that everything was under control, she turned back to her daughter. "Ok, look…" she sighed. "I'm sorry I got so mad, Lizzie, but… I mean…" Emma crouched down and took her daughter by the arms. "You have a sweet deal here. You have a family, a home! You know… your father was swabbing decks and mopping bilge out of a ship and getting whipped if he didn't finish when he was your age! Me, I was sleeping under a bridge and burning books to stay warm. So yeah, you're right, sweetie, I don't understand why! Why would you just… skip school! Are you angry, sweetie? Are you not getting enough? What is going on?" Emma caressed her daughter's hair and then hugged her, adrenalin from the chase and from almost seeing her daughter run over by a truck taking it's toll on her. "Don't ever run off on me like that again, Elizabeth Jones. Ever. Do you know how sad, how devastated your dad and I would be if ANYTHING happed to you?"

"I'm sorry mommy!" The child cried back.

Emma nodded and stood up, wiping off the tears with the back of her hand. "Okay then. Let's go back to the car and then stop at Granny's, so we can talk about this. But you need to tell me, baby, I want to help you, but I can't if you don't let me in."

"Okay." Lizzie sniffled and followed Emma, taking her hand as they two Jones ladies made their way back to Emma's car.

Once at the diner, Emma simply ordered coffee for herself and a lemonade for Lizzie. She interlaced the fingers of her hands and leaned them on the table with a deep, deep sigh. "Ok, miss. Now…" she looked up into her daughter's (her husband's) deep zaphire blue eyes and stared deep into them. "Are you going to tell me what on earth is going on?"

Lizzie looked down and shrugged. "I… I don't like school."

"Why?"

The girl shrugged again and remained quiet. "I just don't."

"Oh, no, I'm not buying that. I've known myself long enough to know how to make an excuse to conceal the truth and you seem to be trying to trick a trickster here. I'm married to a pirate. Come on, what is this really about?"

Lizzie frowned. It was plain for Emma to see that whatever was going on, Lizzie did not want to talk about it, but it was imperative that she did. "Lizzie… help me." Emma spoke softly. "Help me to help you."

The girl sighed and bit her lip. "Mommy… did you have magic when you were my age?"

"Yeah. Yeah I did. But I lived in a place where I couldn't do magic and nobody believed in it anyway. Besides, I never knew I had it till… well, till I was a grown up. So I didn't use it. But I had it." Emma squeezed her daughter's little hand. "What's going on Lizzie?"

The little Jones girl sighed. "It's just that… well, there's Mr. Teague."

"The Phys ed teacher?"

"Yeah."

"What about him?"

Lizzie looked up at her mom with sad eyes. "I don't like what he does to me."

Emma gulped hard; as a child in the system she had often heard stories about lecherous men who took advantage of little girls in the vilest, most terrible ways. More than once she had been exposed to such kinds of people and had it not been for her cunning ability to escape them, she would have probably been ten times as traumatized. The mere notion of anybody laying a finger on her daughter in any innapropriate way terrified her.

She struggled to conceal her sudden apprehension as shelicked her lips. "And… what is he doing to you, sweetie?" she swallowed. "Did he… touch you?"

Lizzie frowned at her mom. "No. No he hasn't." She looked back down at the table as Emma sighed with relief. "But… that's the problem. He helps all the kids in Phys Ed. But he won't come near me because… well, remember last year, when my hands sparkled and I pushed daddy with my magic?"

"Yeah?"

The little girl looked desperately sad and the shaky chin made Emma's motherly instincts leap to the point where she moved from her seat to sit next to her daughter and embrace her.

"He…. He... He said I was… I was dangerous and a menace. A freak." She looked up at her mom. "And he still doesn't include me in the dodgeball team. He tells the other kids not to pick me because… because I am amn… amb..aminormal…"

"Abnormal?" Emma frowned, her cheeks slowly acquiring rage rosiness. "That jerk called you abnormal?"

"Yeah. But this week…." The little girl sobbed hard. "This week, he told the kids to use me for dodgeball practice. They all threw the balls at me! And he was laughing! He said, he said I should use my freaky magic to dodge the balls! " She cried. "And I got very, very angry, mommy, and I blew the lights in the gym and…. And I wanted so badly to hurt him, but I remember you said never to use my magic to hurt anyone, so… I ran out, and everyone laughed at me and called me a freak!" She looked at her mommy pleadingly, sobbing so hard she had begun hiccuping. "Please, mommy, please don't make me go back to school!"

Emma was livid, both at the asshole grown-up picking on a tiny six year old child who happened to be her daughter, and at herself for having been mad at her. Lizzie was cutting school to avoid hurting a grown man who was bullying her. She licked her lips and held her daughter tight. "Oh baby… This has been going on for one year? Why didn't you tell us before? We could have stopped this!"

Lizzie wiped her face with her sleeve. "Because I thought that once you taught me how to control my magic Mr. Teague would see that I'm not evil… and he would leave me alone."

"Oh, sweetheart." Emma kissed her daughter's head. "I am so sorry, I should have listened to you earlier. I am sorry I got so mad." She pulled away. "Look, let's stop for an ice cream on the way home, you can have supper and we can watch American Tale together before bedtime. Ok? We will deal with this, your daddy and me. He will never pick on you again. I promise."

Lizzie nodded silently.

The next morning, the echo of basketballs bouncing on a wooden floor at the school gym blended with that of a coach whistle. Killian made his way through the hall and reached the benchers, observing in silence (angry silence) as the P.E. instructor refereed a basketball match between the junior teams in classes 7A and 7b. He swallowed a thick lump of bile and paced onto the wooden floor, not giving a damn about the damage his rigid boots were causing on the hardwood floor. The kids stopped playing as the ominous and famous leather clad figure of the once rogue pirate captain gone hero / prince paced towards the referee. The man stared at Killian with a sneer.

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Oh, I am just one of many parents who board their children in this educational institution." Killian grinned. "Are you, mayhaps, the man answering to the name of William Teague?"

"That's COACH Teague, buddy. And I don't care who you are, this is MY court, MY arena and MY place of work, so, get the hell out of my gym. You're interrupting a game.!"

"Ah." Killian nodded with a wily smile. "Am I now? Well, I'll be brief, then." He simply threw a fist to the man's cheek. The coach huffed as his face turned from impact. The families attending the game, kids and on-lookers at the benchers all gasped as Killian reached for the man's collar, and pulled him upright. "Now, since we seem to be pulling ranks, I think I may have one over you: I am deputy sheriff of Storybrooke. And also, technically, I am a Prince. Furthermore… I'll have you know that that little child called Elizabeth Jones, yes, the one you apparently take pleasure in bertating in front of all her classmates, is the daughter of princess Emma, granddaughter of Snow White and Prince Charming… and MY DAUGHTER." He gave the man a shake. "As such, she is YOUR princess too. You owe her your allegiance, you bastard." Killian shoved him away and turned to the people that stood aghast at the benchers. "People of Storybrooke, I will have you know: My daughter, Emma Elizabeth Jones, is in second grade. She is merely six years of age. And yes… she wields magic, which she inherited from her mother, Princess Emma Swan, known to you as The Savior." The people gasped. "I will also have you know that my actions here today are justified: This man is an abuser, who has bullied my child to the point where she'd sooner skip school to avoid any conflict. This man whom you trust with the Physical Education of your children, has hounded a six year old child, called her a freak, and turned other children against her!" As the crowd gasped in horror, he turned to look at the man and pointed a finger at his face. "I tell you this now, "coach" Teague; my daughter indeed posesses magic far more powerful than the Savior's. We strive to teach her to use it strictly to do good. However… Should I ever again hear my child complain about you mistreating her, rest assured that she will have both my wife's and my blessing to transform you into the toad you trully are." The man's eyes widened, and Killian paced close to his face, raising a finger right before his nose. "And should that not deter you from wrongdoing my little girl, or any other child, I think it wise to remind you…" he sneered "…I wasn't always a hero. This hook on my arm, served more than just the purpose of a prosthetic. I may have fought hard to become a good man, but believe me… when it comes to keeping my beautiful family safe from the likes of you, I may or may not have any qualms with waking the inner angry pirate dormant in me, and trust me mate, that is one man you do NOT want to meet."

Killian turned and looked at the people, nodding moodily at them as he left the gym in stunned silence. Suffice to say, the game was over, and so was Teague's career as a PE coach in Storybrooke elementary.

Emma waited in the car as Killian opened the door and stepped in with a sigh.

"Please tell me you punched him in the face." She said, handing her husband a bagel.

"Aye." Killian nodded and took a sudden bite out of the salmon-filled pastry, speaking with his mouthful. "And, I reminded him who the hell he is messing with. From his reaction, I am fairly convinced he will not bother Lizzie further."

"Good." Emma nodded and started the car. "Remind me to teach Lizzie how to poof people away."

Killian swallowed and laughed softly. "I told the man Lizzie would turn him into a toad. You should have seen his face." He raised his eyebrows playfully. "Any idea how to do that, or did I cross a line?"

"A toad, huh?" Emma laughed as she pulled out and drove down the street. "That's actually not a bad idea. I'll ask Regina to show me how, just in case."

 **EIGHT DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, MID-DAY**

Harvey returned to the Forsaken Mermaid Johanna with the other two crewmen, looking somewhat crestfallen. Liam Jones turned to him, the poise and elegance of a Jones Captain glowing through every follicle in his body, and his grin dissapeared at the sight of the men. "Why… what sad news do you rbing that you look so downhearted?"

Harvey sighed and looked up at him. "Cap'n, we bring good and bad tidings."

"Well, don't linger! Speak, men, time is upon us! Bloom? Jacobson? What news?"

A tall and robust man with skin as dark as coal, with a single eye and a large hoop earring, stepped forward, speaking in a deep, coarse voice. "Aye cap'n. We found the sourceress you were seeking. Well, not found her, but know of her whereabouts. She is a sister of the see'er up north, a witch called Shazima. We were informed of her talents and possesions by a local fisherman, as well as her prices."

Liam shrugged. "Monetary? We've enough gold, it's not an issue."

"Aye, but it is, Cap'n." The burly, ginger-haired sailor Bloom cut in. "Her price is that of the magic she deals with. She is a dark sorceress, sir, quite unlike her sister, the see'er. But alas, she may be the only one to posess the artifact you need for the child to contact the mermaid, or the spell that might enable us to use your brother's charms and get us off this wicked island. Her magic will always come with a steep personal price."

"And the price might quite well be our very own soul…" Liam pressed the bridge of his nose between his fingers with a huff. "… or worse, that of my niece, or her family." He looked up back at the men. "Where is this witch?"

Jacobson huffed. "That, I fear, is the second problem, Cap'n. She dwells in the face of Blackbeard's vessel, not fifty yards off the dock. We have it on good authority that it may have been her who cast the spell to draw the child to the Cap'n, per his desire." The man huffed. "She is under his employ."

Liam frowned in thought and paced a bit. "No… No these dark sorcerers, they are never "under" anybody's employ. They work per their convenience. If we were to find an offer that migt tickle her interest more than whatever deal she has struck with Blackbeard, we may just be able to negotiate with her."

Harvey shook his head. "Cap'n, be reasonable. Negotiating deals with these sorcerers never amounts to any bloody good. I say we find other means to summon the lady fish. There are plenty of mermaids in these shores." The men shuddered at the mention of the creatures. "I know they're not the most trustworthy of beings, but should we make any of them an offer she may not be able to resist, she could quite well find this sea-maiden and summon her for us!""

"That may be hard, sailor, given the fact that she is currently NOT under water. The mermaid has a magic device that can allow her to communicate OUTSIDE the shores, not under them." He shook his head and leaned against the wooden mast. "No, this sorceress is our best bet. Dangerous as it may be." He bit his lip. "Did you find a hiding post for the girl? A place close to the Queen Anne so as to not raise any suspicions?"

Bloom smiled. "Aye, that we have, cap'n. One where no pirate would dare venture. The well."

Liam paled. "Are you daft, mad or both?" He stood straight. "Do you know what happens to the poor souls that venture into the well?"

Jacobson nodded. "Aye, cap'n, but none before have been a white witch. The little girl has thus far been rather resiliant to the magic of the cloak. She managed to conceal herself enough to follow Cobbleton and Spyke to the ship undetected, in an island where magic is hard to conjure. She is powerful." He smiled softly. "She might be the one to break the cloak, for all we know. She may be the white lady."

Liam shook his head. "That is ludicrous. She is but a child. You're talking about the well where the very cloak of Shoreman's Cove was first cast. Do you indeed suggest to conceal a little girl in there?"

"The waters beneath the island are magical. Tis a place where magic runs free." Harvey insisted. "Cap'n, perhaps that is the one place where your niece's magic might actually function, undetected!"

Liam thought for a minute. "Undetected…" He paced around, rubbing his chin. "Yeah, speaking of that… It's uncanny; a mighty dark witch casts a portal designed specifically to abduct the daughter of Captain Hook for Blackbeard, and yet… the child emerges sixty nautical miles north of where her spell was cast. This is a profesional sorceress we speak of. How do you suppose that happened? Why did her conjurement not function to produce the child for Blackbeard then and there?"

"Because of this!"

"The men turned to find Lizzie, now dressed like a cabin boy, hair cropped short and looking nothing like the Lizzie Jones that first boarded the vessel. She reaised the charms from under her shirt. "My dad gave me these, said they were my protection charms so long as they didn't leave my neck." She approached the stunned crew and Captain. "So, while the witch's conjurement succeded in bringing me here, the charms protected me and led me to the furthest spot."

"How… long have you been dropping eaves?" Liam shook his head. "And how… How did you…?"

"I'm little, not stupid." She shrugged. "I found the clothes in a trunk and the shears were just lying about. It was easy." She looked at Jacobson, and the tall and intimidating sailor was humbled by the sheer willpower of the frail Elizabeth Jones. "Tell me more about this well. What's it like?"

Jacobson nodded. "It's the only magical spot in the island. The cloaking curse for Shoreman's Cove was cast from there. The waters run deep, over a mile below, but they are magical waters. Tis a small, round stone well, up on the south hill. " he pointed to the hill in the distance.

"I wonder…" Lizzie narrowed her eyes as she concealed herself from the sun with a hand, focusing on the distant hill. "I do believe I may have found a way home, if all else should fail." She grinned. "There is a well with equal properties, back in Storybrooke." She looked at Liam. "I may not even need to leave the island. Maybe the wells are twins. If they are, then I could easily get to Storybrooke!"

"Aye, well that's not a chance I'm willing to take too lightly, Lizzie dear." Liam shook his head. "Till then, I still think contacting the mermaid is our best bet, at least to inform your parents that you are alive and well, and…"

"Cap'n!" A man shouted as he ran huffing to the deck. "Tis Blackbeard and six of his men! They are a mere three hundred yards away! Hither they come!"

"Bloody hell…" Liam paled. "Ok, Lizzie, you go back indoors. Use the trap door I spoke of. Hide in there and do not…"

The girl shook her head. "Who the hell might Lizzie be, Cap'n? I'm Billy Shanks, yer cabin boy!" She used her finest broken accent. With a twist of her hand she conjured a minor glamour spell that gave her big brown eyes, freckles and an angry-looking scar that ran along her cheek. "You rescued me from a Kraken just before you made port, remember?"

Liam frowned and shook his head in humor. "You amaze me lass… I mean, lad. Fine then…" He tilted his head at one of his men and immediately, the man ran back and produced a bucket and brush, which he handed to the girl. "You're on deck duty, master Shanks. Get to it now!"

A few seconds later, a boisterous round of laughter encored the entry of Captain Blackbeard of the Queen Anne's Revenge, followed by a crew of men that looked quite distastefully dirty. Lizzie knew her father would probably sneer at the sheer appearance of the mangy-looking men. She sneered and focused on scrubbing the planks.

"Captain Jones!" Blackbeard smiled a huge fake smile, as he held his arms out. "You have no idea what pleasure I get from speaking that title out loud and not looking your more infamous's brother's hideous countenance! How fair you these days?"

Liam chuckled. "You mean my older brother, Captain Hook?" Liam shook his head and paced towards the rivalling pirate, his hand steadily touching the leather grip of the cutlass under his belt. "I'm sure you must be mistaken. My brother is quite a handsome man. Envied by many for his devilishly handsome looks!" He leaned forward and smiled hard. "Mostly by other pirates who didn't seem to take the passing of time with grace." Blackbeard stopped smilling as Liam turned his back to him and paced back. "And what brings you aboard the Mermaid Johanna this fine morning, my dear Captain Teach? If it's loot you seek, I will dissapoint you. All I have in my cargo hold is mostly opium tea from Tortuga. And I will not sell for a low ball, just in case you were planning to swindle me into accepting less than its worth…"

"Oh, no, the booty I seek is far, far more valuable, lad." Blackbeard paced around. "I am on a quest for a young girl. A pretty lass, perhaps no taller than yay." He indicated an average height with his hand.

Liam winced. "My dear fellow, if it's company you seek, I do believe that seeking a infant lassie's favors is loathsome, even for someone of your ilk. There are plenty of lovely trollops down at the inn that still look fresh but that are aptly experienced and will gladly accomodate your need for enjoyment."

Blackbeard sneered. "This child is important to me. Tis not sex I seek. Or at least not till she comes of age."

Liam wanted to punch the captain and throw him over the edge of the Mermaid Johanna, but limited himself to grinning his cynical smirk. "So… a child. What is this lass you seek? What could possibly be so important about some suckling that has your breaches in such a twist?"

Blackbeard chuckled. "Well, here is the thing, Captain: I happen to be a pirate, but also I am a man of my word. A few years back, your dear, dear brother Jones played me false. We made a deal, I kept my part, and he… well, he slipped away back to that land without magic to marry some royal harlot he was madly bessoted over. I am, as you know, a man of business. If I don't collect what was promised, I charge with interest." He curdled his moustache and Liam concealed the shiver the image gave him. "In this case, the interest in question is the offspring of Killian Jones, your niece. You did know you had one, did you not?"

Liam nodded. "Aye, I knew of the lass. But how on earth would you find her here? In the cove? You may need a portal to go find her, but drawing a specific person into your land is considerably far more complicated. Black magic, perhaps?"

Blackbeard took three steps forward, menacingly. "Don't be coy with me, Jones. Your brother crossed me, and I intend to make him pay with royalites. And since you are kin to the little harlot, I have no question in my mind that she would come to your aid."

"How? She has never even met me."

"The lass wields magic. She knows things." Blackpeard paced around and suddenly zeroed on the young boy scrubbing the deck. He made a beeline to him and Liam gulped hard enough for him to hear it but quietly enough as to not be noticed. The older captain stood befroe the child on the floor. "Oi, whelp! Look at me!"

Lizzie raised her face and gave Blackbeard her best "recently orphaned boy" look. "H… hello kind sir… can I bring you some wine from the galley?"

Blackbeard squinted suspiciously. "Tell me, Jones…" He called over his shoulder, his eyes fixed on the young little cabin boy and deckhand. "How long has this wee lad been in your employ?"

"Billy?" Liam paced to the spot, his hand now tightly gripping his cutlass and his crew attentive to every move he made. "Oh, I don't know, I'd say about… three or four moons before we made port?" He shrugged. "I found him and his mother, floating amidst the debris of a shipwreck. Most likely a kraken… or mermaids, who knows. Alas, it was too late for the woman, but we saved the boy. That scar was deep when we first found him. Sea salt did the healing on this one. He makes a fine cabin boy." He looked at Lizzie with the proper authority of a captain that the girl had ony ever seen in her father. "Go on, Shanks, fetch some wine for the captain and his men."

"Aye aye, sir…" She stood, but was stopped suddenly by Blackbeard.

The nasty captain stared into the face of the kid and sneered. "Speak boy, and speak true. What happened to you? How did you come by this vessel?"

"Lizzie could feel her legs shake, but stood her ground. She pulled her best drama act and her eyes welled with tears. "Tis true, sir, what the good cap'n 'as told ya. Me mam and I, we sailed to a place named Arendelle from the Enchated Forest, but we were caught by a terrible,terrible storm. It was a kraken, you see, sank the ship in a single crunch of it's arm. Me mam took me and jumped before the vessel was crunched, but she… she did not live, sir. I floated for some time, next to me mam's remains, and was ready to meet my maker before the Mermaid Johanna fished me out like a lost catfish. Been 'ere ever since." She wiped her eyes. "You want that wine, sir?"

Liam rolled his eyes with a grin. The girl was a quick wit, for sure.

Blackbeard nodded and cleaned his nose with his sleeve as he turned to Liam. "Tell you what Jones… I'll buy you your cabin boy, and let you off the hook without a search of your vessel. Think of it. You may be enriched AND avoid any further harassment, what say you?"

"What say I? I say NAY!" Liam snapped back. "And I'll tell you why: I saved this lad from a certain death and delivering him to your employ would be worse than if I had let him perish in the high seas. I do NOT trade in human flesh, teach. And hear this…" he drew close to Blackbeard's face and the men from the Queen Anne's Revenge immediately lurched forward in case the captain needed swordsmen. ""I've not seen or heard of a young girl in these shores. I just arrived here from the north, ask anyone. But if I were to find my own niece seeking my aid, rest assured I'd not deliver her into the hands of a monster. I'd do anything to help her find her way back home to my brother, because unlike you, captain Blackbeard, my brother and I, we go by a code. Good form, we like to call it." He paced back and smiled again as he raised his hands. "Now if it pleases you, feel free to search my vessel, from stem tor stern. You'll find no child other than young Billy Shanks here. And, as I have said, he will not be leaving my employ until he comes of age and decides to leave on his own."

Blackbeard looked back at Lizzie and sneered. "Nay. You're a murky ugly little lad anyways. Not worth the trouble." He turned to his men. "Search the ship!"

Liam held his hand out to isntruct his crewmen to allow the search. Lizzie was garteful for poofing away her clothes and the long strands of hair she had cut, or she would be done for.

Ten minutes later, one of Blackbeard's men reprted. "No sign of the lassie, sir."

Blackbeard licked his lip, still eyeing Billy suspiciously. "Well, it seems I will let you be, Jones, by the sheer ethic of the pirate code. Alas…" He sighed and pulled his blade from his belt, touching the edge. "Shoud I hear that you too have swindled me, I will take no pity on you or your crew. You will die like dogs." He signaled with his head and his crew followed him as he paced out of the ship. "Mark my words, captain… I will find this girl, and your brother will pay in heartache what I lost when he decieved me. You best choose your allegiance, should you come across the girl: some extra gold in your cargo hold… or your life at the expense of defending the child of the man who murdered your father. You decide." He waved a not-so-enthusiastic farewell and abandoned the ship.

Liam heaved and went to the girl. "Are you well?"

Lizzie just about managed to nod before she passed out from fear and stress.

After Liam had placed her in his chamber, he went back to the deck, waiting for Higgins and Kwame to return, hopefully with a bean, or with at least good news.

Xxxxxxx

 **THE MORNING AFTER THE FUNERAL**

"Oh how quaint, the entire family… or not quite so." Gold smirked. Killian resisted an urge to thump him in the face as the man with a caine made his way into the now familiar meeting diner. "I assumed you'd tell them but I never imagined you'd have the entire royal family here to hear out what I have to say."

"Like I said, whatever you need to relay on me, you relay on them. Now…" Killian hissed. "I am hoping that for once, you will be a man of your word, and simply help us becuase of the kindness of what's left in that hard lump of coal you have for a heart. So… Speak crocodile. What do you know of this? Who took my child?"

Gold chuckled and took a seat. "Many years ago, an old witch and I had somewhat of a falling out. I of course, was somewhat more powerful, so I banished her. But only she and I have ever had enough power to cast a conjuring portal… well, also the black fairy, but she is long gone now…"

"A Falling out with a fellow witch, huh… Not surprised." Regina huffed.

"Who is this witch?" Emma leaned forward.

Gold raised his eyebrows and sighed. "One I thought would not be able to cross the magic of a cloaking spell I convincer her to cast… or rather, I cast through her. More like, I fooled her into thinking she would be ever powerful and the queen of the land if she cast that spell, only to find herself safely incarcerated in that place. Seemed like a good idea at the time, except…" he glared at Killian. "…over the years the location became a haven for the foulest sea fairing creatures to ever roam the seas. Pirates." He looked back at them. "Somehow, she was able to provide the scum of the earth with charms that would enable them to leave or enter the island, alas… she would never be able to leave herself, unless…" He looked at Emma. "Unless she obtained the purest blood, the blood of a child born of true love, the one prophetically called "The White Lady". The death of the only witch powerful enough to defeat her is the only ingredient she is probably missing." He looked at Emma and Hook in turns and met their horrified gazes. "Who by the way, happens to be your daughter."

"So… this witch killed her to try and take her blood and break the spell…" Emma nearly felt herself pass out.

Gold chuckled. "Oh, no no no… the child wouldn't do her any good dead. She needs to actually have her alive to sacrifice her during a high moon. And there is another thing: she is unable to cast a conjuring spell or a portal of any sort for her own interest. I left no loose ends. So my only conclusion is, she cast it for someone else, someone whose interests coincidentially might align quite nicely with hers, someone who would want your daughter Captain, with equal interest. And being this a place where pirate's dwell, I can only think of one who may have reason to require your child. Someone whom you are edebted to."

"Blackbeard." Killian sneered hard.

"Indeed." Gold stood up. "But be sure of one thing, Captain: Blackbeard's intentions are nothing, comapred to what this witch can do, should she come through to our world and seek venceance on me for banishing her. I have a son and a wife here, and the love I have for my family is my weak spot. She will know how to hurt me, and thus, all of you. Right now, your best bet is to help me prevent that from happening and keeping the woman safely ensconsced in Shoreman's Cove."

Snow white raised a hand. "Wait, wait… you said that… she conjured Lizzie at the behest of Blackbeard… but that she needed Lizzie alive for her own needs…"

"Aye."

Emma's eyes widened. "So…"

"She could be alive?" David aksed, wide eyed.

"Indeed she could. And probably is, given that the witch has not quite used her precious blood to terminate her exile and come to hound me and my family. So, if that is the case, we have but a window of time to figure out whether or not that is the case, before the worst happen to both our families."

Emma turned to her husband. "Killian… the shell. It's in your chest."

Killian sprinted up the stairs and zoomed back down with the little shell in his hand and a beaming smile of hope on his face. "Got it!"

Gold raised his brow. "Unless we are eating escargot, I fail to see the relevance."

Emma took the shell from Killian. "Watch and learn Dark One." She spoke into the shell. "Airel? Ariel, can you hear me?"

Gold closed his eyes and nodded in the realization.

A few seconds later, a voice came back. "Emma, what a nice surprise! How are you?"

Emma smiled fwith joy or the first time since the accident and spoke back. "Listen, I'm gonna let Killian tell you, it's very important…" she hadned the shell back to her husband. "Do your thing.."

Killian took the shell an spoke. "Ariel?"

"Well hello, captain, t's good to hear you!"

"Aye, love, you've no idea how good it is to hear you too! Listen Ariel, we need a very big favor from you… Can you reach Shoreman's Cove?"

"Oh yeah. That cloak be damned." She laughed. "Why? Do you need me to find something?"

"Someone. My daughter, elizabeth. Find her, see whether she is dead or alive. And if and when you do, please come back to us and relay the news, Ariel, her life and probably ours depends on this." He swallowed. "Can you do that?"

Ariel was silent for a few secons.

"Ariel?"

"Captain… you can count on me."


	9. Chapter 9

**HEY I'M BACK! SORRY ABOUT THE MASSIVE HIATUS, I'VE HAD A LOT OF CHANGES IN MY LIFE, SOME GOOD SOME BAD, I FINALLY FINISHED MY DEGREE, BUT ALSO INJURED MY BACK AND HAVE A NASTY CASE OF SCIATICA; AFTER THAT, AN EARTHQUAKE SHOOK MY BUILDING IN NOVEMBER (YEP, MEXICO CITY) AND WE HAD TO WAIT BEFORE WE WERE ASSURED IT WAS SAFE TO MOVE BACK INTO IT, LOTS OF CRACKS ON THE WALLS BUT NO REAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, SO THAT MUCH IS GOOD NEWS. I'VE ALSO BEEN DEALING WITH COLITIS (I'VE CROHN'S SO…)… NONETHELESS, I LOVE THIS STORY AND I WILL NOT LEAVE IT UNATTENDED!**

 **I WILL BE 100% HONEST: I AM NOT A HUGE FAN OF THE SHOW'S REBOOT, AND I'VE NOT WATCED S.7, MOSTLY BECAUSE I MISS MY CS. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE NICE FAN FICTION TO FALL BACK ON TO CURB THOSE CS WITHDRAWAL MUNCHIES.**

 **ENJOY! THANK YOU FOR STAYING TUNED AND WORRY NOT, THE STORY HAS A LITTLE WHILE LONGER TO GO, MAYBE 2 OR 3 CHAPTERS MORE. I WILL NOT FALL BACK AGAIN!**

CHAPTER 10: UNCERTAIN MAGIC

 **A WEEK AFTER THE FUNERAL**

Emma paced from side to side, cracking her fingers. Her superpower to detect a liar had so far been accurate and she seemed to believe Gold was on the level… or on some level, at least. It may have served his interests, and chances were that if he were to gain nothing from it, she and Killian may have never found out that Lizzie could very well still be alive. But regardless, it was a window of hope, and if there had been something both she and her pirate had gleaned from her family was that hope was a powerful energy.

Regardless of that, and in spite of feeling energized by the possibility of seeing her child alive and well, she couldn't help feeling like there would more than likely be something around the corner that could quite easily claim the life of someone else she loved; could be Killian… again. Or Henry. Her brother, her mother, her father, her friends… the list was endless. So she figured that, despite the dark history behind them, she'd sooner have the dark one as her ally.

"Emma, stop it, you'll dig a trench on the floor." Regina huffed from the kitchen table.

"Hm?" The savior snapped her head up and huffed. "Sorry, must be the coffee… I… I don't know what I'm doing to be honest."

"I can tell you what you're not doing." The Queen stood up and walked to her. "In your shoes, I'd be running to the beach to wait for Ariel with news of my daughter."

Emma shook her head. "She has the shell and she knows where I live. Besides, Hook is there. Won't do much good for both of us to…"

"You're avoiding things, Emma."

The savior sighed deep and placed her hands over her forehead. "Yeah… yeah I am." She paced back to her table and sat down with a thump. "Regina… What if… what if Lizzie really is dead?"

"Cut it out, Emma."

"Cut what out? I'm just sying that…"

"I've seen this before. A week before the funeral. You were too afraid to cast the tracking spell."

"And for good reason! It just proved that Lizzie was gone!" Emma shouted. "Now turns out she isn't. Or might not be. I am not too sure I can do this all over again, Regina. What if we go all the way to that place only to find she really IS gone?" She shook her head. "I'm not so sure I can keep on losing my daughter over and over and…"

"Then, like before, you will know for sure." Regina nodded calmly. "Or would you rather just not do anything and wonder forever whether or not she might still live?"

"Shit." Emma slammed her hand on the tabletop. "I just hate the idea of building up hopes and expectations only to… to mourn all over again. It's like it was with Neal; first he was there, then he left me, then he came back with Tamara, then he was dead, then he was alive in Neverland, then he died for real, ugh!" She looked up into the queen's eyes and chuckled sadly. "Two or three days ago, I went into Lizzie's room with an empty box in my hands. I was determined to clean up and take her things to the garage, to move on." She shook her head and girnned glumly. "But all it took for me to lose my cool was a photograph. It just sat there… one of the happiest days of our lives." She looked at Regina with a grin. "She was about three or four; stole my eye-liner and painted her face, like a pirate, according to her. Killian was thrilled. She made a mess." She laughed softly and sadly. "I fell apart, Regina, I couldn't do it. So here I am finally accepting the idea of letting go… and then it turns out she may be alive, but might also not be alive, and… oh god, Regina, I'm not sure I could take it. Or Killian."

"Would it be better if you didn't know?" Regina raised an eyebrow. "If there is a tiny sliver of hope that your daughter might still be alive, would you just let her go?"

Emma shook her head. "Of course not. I mean, I'm terified, but if Lizzie is still out there alive and trying to get back home, of course I will do anything!" She sighed. "She's a little girl, she only just started to control her magic." She raised her eyes to her friend. "She's facing a witch as powerful as Rumplestiltskin, Regina. She's alone. Not to mention Blackbeard looming around her, and according to Killian, his intentions are probably far less than honorable. A little girl! Magic or no magic, she was… is, just a child!"

Regina nodded with a sigh, hands on her hips. "It is scary, I'll give you that." She turned and walked to the kitchen counter to pour herself some coffee from the Jones's coffee maker. "But to be honest, if anybody tried to lay a finger on my child and I knew about it, I'd be on them like a lion."

Emma nodded. "Yeah. Yeah I wanna know for sure. I do know that chances are we will be heading on a wild goose chase, but on the other hand, if she is still alive and needs our help, we will do anything to get her back safe and sound." She side grinned at Regina. "Like I said… It was the same with Neal. I saw him die, I saw him fall through that portal. Wasn't the first time I lost him, either." She chuckled. "But then there was Pan and Neverland and bam, there he was, alive and well, and yeah it was good that he didn't die, but…" She shook her head. "…I found myself realizing that it would have been easier to just move on than to once again let him into my life only to run the risk of him dissapearing or dying, and I was right. In the end he died." She raised her eyes to Regina. "Lizzie is my child. I will never, ever give up on her, if she still lives. I'm just afraid to take my family out on another adventure and put all your lives in danger only to confirm she is dead. Not to mention facing that pain again and shattering what you called a sliver of hope."

The front door opened and Killian came in, followed by Henry and David, and made a beeline to Emma. "Any news from our maid in the sea?"

The savior sighed and wrapped her fingers around the shell that hung around her neck. "No, not yet. If she does find her, it might take a while."

Killian sighed and and nodded, rubbed a hand on her shoulder and then ran it down his own face. "Every minute that goes by is a minute she is either closer to Blackbeard or that bloody witch." He pulled out his chair and sat next to his wife. "Henry, m'boy, a favor… could you go into the garage and fetch me my old log books? They're on top of the shelf, behind the trunk where I keep the stuff from the Jolly Roger."

As Henry nodded and left the room, David frowned. "Why do you need that for?"

Killian sighed. "Blackbeard was one of the greatest adversaries I ever faced. He'd frequently try to sabotage my trade routes. Never quite accomplished it." He smirked arrogantly. "Wasn't nearly as good as I, and I was able to outrun the Queen Anne's revenge with ease, every time. He coveted my ship." He looked at Emma and at Regina as he continued. "I may not have been a very kind man in those days, but I was a hell of a pirate and, most of all, a disciplined Captain and sailor. Keeping the log book up to date was a duty I took with the utmoust seriousness. There could have been a wailing storm about to sink us and I'd be registering every single decision made there, every event, every unexpected turn." He tapped his finger on the table top. "I was thinking this very morning… right around the time I managed to leave Neverland, was the time where I had some of my worst run-ins with Blackbeard; it was all registed in my log book. And one thing I know about pirates is, we are creatures of habit."

"Yup, that you are…" Emma sighed with a mocking and loving grin.

After frowning at his wife, Killian continued. "Blackbeard is probably still trading and navigating along my routes. I may find something in my logs that we might find useful. The sea changes with the seasons and a lot of pirates spend the autum in the cove to avoid capsizing from the autum winds. I may have registered where each pirate and each vessel is anchored during this time."

Emma nodded and grinned, placing her hand on his arm. "That's my pirate."

Regina nodded. "Very well. You figure that out Captain, I can make a tracking potion or something, if we go to retrieve your daughter. It'll make it easier to trace…"

"No it won't." Killian interrupted. "Magic is extremely umpredictable in the Cove. The chances of magic working properly there are close to none. We will have to do this the old fashioned way."

David nodded. "Snow. She's the best tracker among us."

"But…" Emma shook her head. "What will happen to Neal?"

"He can stay with Granny till we return." David smiled. "We have done it before, when we… well the underworld and all that."

Killian grimaced, Emma frowned and Regina rubbed her eyebrow. "Well, one way or another, you do need someone who's an expert in magic. Better to have some than none."

"Agreed." Emma concurred. "For good measure, Regina, maybe you can ask Zelena if she will be a part of this. Three witches against one is better than two."

"If your daughter is alive, Emma, that's four." Regina grinned. "I'll go talk to my sister, she might require to make arrangements for Robin." She stood up and poofed away in a cloud of velvety red smoke.

Henry came in. "There you go." He placed the books with a dusty thud before Killian. Emma sneezed as Killian rumaged through the old leather-bound log books until her smiled at the sight of one. "Ah-ha. This should be the one." He opened it and more dust flew everywhere, making Emma stand up coughing.

"Killian, seriously, I'm getting you a cordless Hoover." She gagged.

"You ok, mom?" Henry frowned.

"Yeah kid. All that dust. God…" She coughed, one hand over her nose. "I'll be coughing now for weeks."

"Allergic to dust mites. Or so the medic has told her." Killian rolled his eyes as he passed one page after another. "Sorry my love."

"Maybe I can help as well. I am the author. The book might give us some clues, like that time when we beat the black fairy." Henry grinned. "Is it still in my closet upstairs mom?"

Emma sneezed and cleaned her nose with the back of her hand. "Yeah. Just a bit higher up, under the boxes with your school yearbooks."

Henry went upstairs while Emma, David and Killian continued to scower into Hook's old log books, with Emma sneezing every ten seconds. Suddenly, Killian stopped. "Here. This is handy. Look here…" The three of them closed in as Killian read alound. " _September 19, 1902; Choppy seas / Two mermaid attacks upon entry, slayed both fish / Queen Anne harboured south of the Cove, supplies short after most recent attempt to plunder the Jolly Roger; attempt failed, Jolly Roger fully stocked. Teach and crew to remain in the Cove for a fortnight / Jolly Roger to anchor 3.5 miles north of Queen Anne. / Must remain unnoticed_. " He ran his finger down the page. "And here _… Smee and Quinn taken hostage by crew of Queen Anne / Teach demands full supply of apples for the scurvy and rum / Supplies denied, Smee rescued, Quinn dead, must bury at sea / Must anchor further north / Storm coming in from the south / Queen Anne holding severe damage to main mast, three crewmen reported dead / Jolly Roger scathed but mostly unharmed, will remain in Shoreman's Cove till repairwork's conlcuded._. "

"Quite the handwriting you have Hook…" David smiled.

"And here…" Killian pointed at another spot. " _Queen Anne also to remain beached soutrh of the Cove for another fortnight till supplies completed and repairwork done._ " He looked to Emma. " Sumising that Teach is there for supplies or to find Lizzie, it is very safe to assume he will not remain more than two weeks, love, AND, he always anchors south of the island. The seas become riddled with mermaids after that and unless he wants to spend the winter trades stuck in the Cove he will not wait much longer before setting sail."

"It might make it easier for us to find Lizzie if he manages to capture her. Once they leave the Cove, I can locate her!" Emma looked up into Killian's eyes.

"Aye, but do you really want a lovely looking little girl in the hands of over thirty unsanitized pirates, love? Trust me, Blackbeard's crew is vile, unlike me, that Captain does not have the slightest trace of good form or a code to follow."

David sighed and stood straight. "So, what do we do, Emma? Should we just go? Find a portal and get to this… Shoreman's Cove?"

The savior looked up to her father and shrugged. "I wouldn't know where to start."

Killian turned and reached for his wife's hand with a soothing smile. "Neither did we, when we travelled to the Enchanted forest to find you after you became the Dark One. Nonetheless, we found you promptly, did we not?"

Emma was about to reply when a muffled sound emerged from the shell around her neck. "Hook? Emma? It's Ariel!"

Emma gulped hard and took her hand to the shell. This was it. "Ariel, we hear you. Tell us…." She swallowed again, and tears shone in her eyes. "Is… did you find her? Did you find my baby?"

The three seconds it took for Ariel to respond could have easily been a whole year.

"I found her. And yes. She is alive."

The collective sigh of relief could only be surpassed by Killian's relieved laughter and Emma's happy sobbing. "I… is she ok? Where is she?"

"How's my child, Ariel? You saw her, with your own two eyes?" Killian chipped in, smiling from ear to ear.

Ariel replied promptly. "She's in good hands. You have a loyal brother, Captain. He has his own vessel now and happened to be at the Cove. He's concealing her and keeping her safe." She chuckled. "I almost became shark bait because of his men, but hey…"

Killian closed his eyes, a relieved tear falling from his eye. "Liam… bless your soul, brother."

"She asked me to send you her love. However, I think you guys should know… there is a terrible, terrible presence in the Cove. A lot of rage and betrayal, unlike anything I've ever felt before." Emma and Hook exchanged glances while Ariel continued. "An ancient witch has been stirred to life here. It is terribly dangerous for your daughter. She has a deal with that awful man, Blackbeard. He's being used as a pawn, too. Nothing good can come out of the deal between those two. Captain, those charms you gave her, were they a key to enter and leave the Cove?"

"Aye… if she has them she should be able to just leave with Liam. Why have they not used them?"

"It seems that only the rightful owner can use them; they were yours for many years, so they only serve you. Besides, even if they did work, the witch would detect the magic and would know where to look. And she could easily send Blackbeard to retrieve her." Ariel paused. "You guys need to come here and help her."

"We need to figure out how." David sighed.

"Ariel? Is there a chance you could… you know… keep giving us updates till we do?" Killian insisted. "I know it's a lot to ask for, love, but…"

Ariel sighed. "I'll do my best. It's dangerous here. But I'll try."

"My sister is alive." Henry laughed and ran his hands through his hair.

"I gotta go, guys… can't stay here too long, or I might be detected."

"Yeah, yeah go, Ariel… and thanks!" Emma laughed. "Really, we owe you big time for this."

As soon as the link was broken, Emma stood up and threw her arms around Killian's neck, who responded with equal enthusiasm. "She's alive! Killian, she's alive!"

"Aye love, she is! Bloody hell!" He smiled back, eyes clenched, holding herr just as tight as she was.

David joined in the hug and chimed in. "Your mother will be thrilled, Emma. I gotta go tell her. Get Regina, Zelena and Gold, we will have to convene what to do to go find my granddaughter."

Emma turned to her father and hugged him hard. "Thanks dad. For everything, for being here, for…"

"That's what parents are for, Emma." He grinned, his hand on her head. He turned to Henry. "Kid, you wanna come with me and prep? We have a battle ahead."

Henry stood up decisevly. "Hell, yeah!" He turned to Emma and Hook and hugged them in turns. "You guys, I's so cool to be a part of this family… Let's go get the Lizzard!"

He followed David out the door and Emma and Hook were finally left alone. After embracing silently for a few seconds, Emma turned her limpid green eyes to his. "She is alive, Killian…"

He nodded back with a grin. "Aye. I never thought I'd ever feel such joy again. But there it is." He sighed and pulled away to his log books. "Now all we have to do is figure out where to get a magic bean." He looked up to Emma. "Who do you suppose is that witch? I knew about the curse of the Cove and how it worked, but I never saw the witch. The charms were given to be by some wiley pirate after a fortuitous roll of the dice many years back, I never bought them off the hag like most Cove dwellers had…"

Emma shrugged. "I suppose Gold would know."

"Aye, that's what I'm afraid of. He may have been telling the truth and I will forever owe him for letting us know about this, but you know the Dark One, love; there has to be something in it for him." He turned to Emma. "We need only to retrieve our daughter, Swan. Who's to know what wiles that man has and what his true agenda may be."

Emma looked down. "I hope it's as easy as that." She looked back to her husband. "But if things do get out of hand, I am still the savior."

"No, Emma…"

"Killian… If all it takes for us to get Lizzie back home is to simply go there and retrieve her and leave the witch locked under her own spell, I'll do it, gladly. But you know that that's usually not how this goes down; neitther she nor Blackbeard will give her up without a fight. So if there is any threat that she might follow us and hurt the people I love, or any person in this town… we have to take her down." Emma reached for his hand, with a sympathetic look on her face. "It's been eight years. I've had a far longer reprieve than what I dared to imagine. But if this is who I am, I can't let the people down. I can't let it happen."

Killian fidgeted and nodded. "Aye." He finally huffed. "I suppose it's been so many years, I'd forgotten… it is who you are. And it is also who our daughter is, whether she asked for it or not, poor lass." He grinned again at her. "And you will not be alone, my love. Remember… I shall be by your side, no matter what happens. Just … one more thing… " He winked at her. "You take care of the hellbeast by any means necessary. But Blackbeard is mine."

Emma smiled fully and fell into his embrace. "I knew I'd made the right choice when I married you."

XXXXX

 **SHOREMAN'S COVE, FOUR HOURS EARLIER.**

"Mermaids!"

"Thirty degrees starboard!"

"Get the harpoon! Deploy the fishing nets!"

"All hands on deeeeck!"

Lizzie rose suddenly to the frantic shouting of Liam's men, as the stomping sound of their rushed stampeding sprinkled dust onto her nose. She sneezed, sat up and ran out of the captain's quarters. Liam rushed down "Stay belw, niece! There is a mermaid on the prowl. Where there is one there are bound to be plenty more!"

Lizzie lit up. "Wait! Uncle Liam! What if she's the one, Ariel?!" she smiled and tried to push past Liam, who held her by the shoulders.

"Aye, and what if she's not?" He barked back. "Right now I've but one task, and that is to preserve the life of my only brother's daughter, so I'd appreciate it if you just let me do that!"

"And if you do that you might me hurting or killing the ONE person that can help me get in touch with my mom and dad!" She shouted back at her uncle. "Let me go up there!"

"You're mad! We don't know if this fish is the one, and until you do, you don't know what those creatures can do! So until I'm sure that that IS her, I don't want you on that deck. That is an ORDER!"

"You have to let me see her!"

"NO!" Liam pushed her back into the cabin. "I'm sorry to do this, Elizabeth, but it's for your own good!" He shoved her into the room and ran out, locking the door behind him.

"UNCLE LIAM!" She shouted.

Lizzie huffed and kicked the chair, knocking it down as the continuous stomping of sailors continued to plough through her ears, dist trickling from the ceiling. Lizzie sat on the bed and took a few deep breaths. She closed her eyes and remembered her mother's early magic lessons when she was trying to control her own magical skill.

" _Remember who is in control, sweetie. Deep breaths… now think, think of who it is you want to protect and why you want to do it. You have to feel it in order to control it. That's it… you're doing it!"_

The little girl began to hum her song; it had become obvious by then than magic without her own song was far too unpredictable. As she sang, she envisioned the padlock outside the trap door to Liam's quarters. She could almost feel the cold metal on the palm of her hand. As she hummed harder and harder, she raised her hand and flicked it to the side. And it was the actual sound of the metal padlock clicking that brought her out of her trance. She grinned and swiftly dressed in her boyish garb, and after magicking her face to look like that dishevelled young pirate she was imersonating, she stomped out to the melee on the deck.

The men were gathered around the center of the ship, shouting and congratulating each other for their "catch"; on the wodden floor lay a beautiful woman with a shiny, bluish tail, begging for her life.

Lizzie ran to the men. "Stop it! Leave her alone!" She shouted.

All the men gasped. "How on earth…?" Liam frowned. "I locked you in!"

"And bad form for doing so!" She snapped back at her uncle. "You forget, my mother is pretty nimble with magic, she was bound to teach me a trick or two. Now get out of my way!" She pushed past her uncle and turned to the girl in the net, who eyed her head to toes. "I'm sorry for how these men have treated you." She kneeled down and pulled on the net. "I suppose you'll just want to go home…"

"I certainly did not expect to be fished out like sea bass!" The mermaid begged. "I… I figured I'd come here only because I was told this is the vessel of the younger Jones brother."

Liam straightened up. "Who told you this, fish?"

"Fish?!" The mermaid gasped, indignant. "All mermaids know all the vessels that cruise the oceans in every realm, "pirate"." She huffed. "And my name is NOT fish, it is Ariel."

Lizzie turned smiling to Liam. "You see? I told you!" she whispered excitedly, before turning back to the mermaid. "The 'younger' Jones?" Lizzie frowned. "Do… you know the 'older' Jones?"

"I've known the captain and his wife for many years. Now, can I speak to the captain of this ship?"

The young Jones sighed. "I'm the man you seek. Captain Liam Jones. And yes, the man you speak of is indeed my brother, Killian Jones, or Captain Hook. Now, I must ask you: Have you seen them? Hook and the savior?" Liam asked.

Ariel narrowed her eyes and stared at the young girl, dressed as a cabin boy, before her. Those eyes seemed very familiar. She then turned back to Liam. "No, I haven't, but from the looks of it, you might know exactly what they asked me to look for. " She sat up, her tail glistening in greens and blues under the sun. "They lost thier daughter a few weeks back. You niece? Her name is Elizabeth. They seem to believe that for some reason she may have ended up here, at Shoreman's Cove."

Liam signaled to his crew to get back to their chores, and as they scattered, he sat next to Ariel. "Just how does a mermaid become friends with a princess and a pirate?"

"Oh, we go way back." Ariel sighed. "I was friends with princess Snow White, way before the first dark curse. She helped me find my prince." She grinned. "We are still together., and that could not have happened if it hadn't been for Snow and David . I've also encountered Captain Hook more than a few times, we have a history. He turned out a much better man than I ever expected him to be." She reached for her neck and showed them the little shell pendant. "We sometimes use this to communicate. They have a spell. I gave Killian a couple of these, you just talk into them and someone on the other end is bound to be listening." She looked up at them. "Last night, they called for me and asked me to come to the Cove, to see if I could find anything out about thier missing daughter. I was told by other mermaids that your ship was in port, Captain. I figured I'd give it a try, what with you being the younger Jones and all. Do you know anything about Hook's daughter, your niece?"

Liam sneered at her. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't. But you will have to." Ariel shrugged.

Lizzie Pointed to the shell. "Maybe.."

"Why don't you use the shell now? Call my brother!"

The young mermaid sighed. "Everyone knows that magic isn't all it can be in this place. I also know there is a curse on this island and the last thing I need is to use any form of magic that could be traceable. This shell is as magical as they come. Please… " She looked pleadingly at Liam and the cabin boy. "They sounded tremendously worried. I know them well, they must be heartbroken."

Lizzie looked into her eyes and stood straight. "She's telling the truth."

Liam shook his head. "And you know this, how?"

"My mother taught me a useful trick. She can always tell when someone is lying, and I can too. She's the one, the mermaid we saw in the mirror." She smirked at Ariel. "Seems the mermaid found us before we could find her."

Ariel looked at the young cabin boy, and her smile was enough to put Liam's fears at ease. "It's you… you're Elizabeth!" She frowned when she saw the scar on her cheek. "What happened to your face?"

Lizzie grinned. "It's a disguise. A glamour spell. I go by Billy here. I'm only a cabin boy while we figure out how I can go home. We can't sail out, even with the charms my dad gacve me, because HE has to be the one using them. Not much good that way. And Blackbeard is looking for me."

Ariel huffed and took Lizzie's hand. "Oh that awful man…" She looked back at Lizzie. "It is dangerous for you to be here, Elizabeth. The woman who cast this spell is an ancient, evil witch. She must desperately want to keep you here, the barriers were intense as I was coming in." She turned to Liam. "Make sure she's safe, captain. I'll have to leave the Cove in order to contact Emma. I will see if I can come back later today."

Liam nodded and grinned. "I offer my sincerest apologies, Ariel, for the treatment my men and I have given you. I had to be sure."

"I'd slap you if I didn0t know you were doing it to protect your niece." Ariel smiled back. "Wouldn't be the first Jones I slap." She shrugged. "Now, I have to deliver the message, but in the future, maybe you can ask your men to be a little less… rough?"

Lizzie leaned in. "My mom told me you could turn into a human while off shore. Why didn't you? It might be a lot easier that way."

"Aye, that would certainly raise far less suspicions." Liam agreed.

Ariel shook her head. "I'll have to mremain in mer-form, Elizabeth. For the same reason I can't use the shell in here. If the witch is being mindful, she will sense what magic is being carried out."

"I've used a bit of magic, and so far, she hasn't caught me!" Lizzie shrugged.

"Listen to me…" Ariel took her by the shoulders. "It is important that you do NOT use it any more, you hear? If you have used magic and not been caught, you've only been lucky. Magic is not stable here, anything can happen. I'd use it only in case of an extreme emergency. But don't worry." She grinned. "I know your parents. They will find a way to get you home."

Lizzie sighed and nodded, looking down. Ariel turned to Liam. "Can you… maybe throw me off the plank?"

Liam nodded. "Certainly."

Artiel turned to Lizzie. "Don't worry. I'll let them know where you are, and that you are ok." She chuckled excitedly. "I suppose that learning that their daughter is not dead is gonna be pretty exciting news!"

Lizzie reached out for her hand. "Could you please tell them that I love them and miss them very much?"

After Ariel nodded, she reached out to Liam; He picked her up and led her to the edge of the bow, and was momentarily caught in her beautiful, green eyes. She suddenly seemed like the most beautiful woman he had ever set his eyes on. He grinned like a fool.

"Ok… you can let go now… captain." Ariel asked awkwardly.

"Oh… aye, of course." He blushed slightly, remembering how she had clearly said she and her prince were still together. He grinned and nodded. "I thank you, Ariel, for your help. Be sure to apeace my brother and his wife. Tell them their daughter is well, and that she will be, so as long as she is under my watch."

Ariel grinned back and closed her eyes as Liam slowly released her into the water. She fell in and somehow managed to turn as she fell, peeking from the waves and waving goodbye as her colorful tail swished away under the crystal clear water of the dock.

"Ahem…" Liam's musings were interrupted and he turned to find a cheeky smirk on a cabin boy's face. "Someone likes the fish!"

He strtaighente his posture and frowned. "Go back to the cabin, child. And stay there till further notice." He grinned a little. "And tell no one about this."

XXXXXX

 **STORYBROOKE; FOLLOWING MORNING**

The Dark One's shop was the meeting venue; Gold figured it would be safer there than any other place. Hook and Emma arrived early, as early as they knew Gold to rise fromerhead his sleepless slumber to his place of work.

"Crocodile?" Killian frowned as he pushed the door open, the sound of the bell ringing as he and Emma entered the shop. "We are here, as discussed."

From the back emerged the figure of Mr. Gold. While he had calmed down enough to share an amicable truce since the "final battle", everyone knew he was still a man to be reckoned with. And while Emma and Killian were far from indimidated, they had, over the years, learned to respect the power he wielded.

"Ah, the Joneses. So… I heard the little one still lives. Bravo." He walked behind the counter. "But I think you should know; this foe you're facing, is unlike any you've met before."

"Yeah you say that all the time, about evrything. In the end we always win." Emma replied bluntly.

"Ah. Arrogance and confidence. Traits I tend to admire, and you're no exception. Nevertheless, miss Swan…" He raised a hand with a grin. "There is no harm in learning exactly who and what you will be dealing with." He reached down beneath the counter and produced a tiny box. As he opened it, Emma and Killian sneered in disgust. There, inside the lead box and lined by a velvet lining, was a large eyeball, with its ocular nerve still attached.

"Bloddy hell…" Killian gulped.

"What the hell is this?" Emma sneered.

Gold smirked. "That, dear Emma, is the seeing eye once shared by three sisters. Not so distant relatives to our now long-gone friend, Hades. These hags were blind since birth, but shared an eye to do their evil works."

"The Graeae?" Emma sneered. "The three mountain witches that perseus defeated?"

"Indeed. But as you may have come to learn miss Swan, reality is not necessarily the same as you have seen in your book. You see, Pemphreda betrayed her other sisters. They decided to climb down the mountain and use their skills to do good, to help, or simply to prohetize without, let's say, eating thier customers. Deina, she was the first seer. I killed her in the Enchanted forest to steal her gift of foresight."

"Charming." Killian grinned.

"The second witch, Eyna, she lives also at the cove, still suing her gift. But Pamphreda, she kept the eye to herself, condemnig men to a nasty death by ingestion in exchange for her services. One day, she crossed my path. She knew well enough not to taunt the Dark One, but she wanted to reclaim the seeing power I had taken from her sister. Naturally, I refused, and she tried to lock me with her old friend, Medussa. Alas, when she crossed me, I crossed her. You know what they say: An eye for an eye."

"So… you took this eye from the old hag, and encased her under a spell in some island, and now there is an angry, blind witch seeking revenge agains you." Killian nodded and grinned. "Aye, sounds like one of your doings."

Gold shrugged cinically. "I have her tooth as well." When he was met with an angered silence, he chuckled. "Look, this happened a long time ago. I cannot remember the year even, only that it happened. How was I to know that the only source of purest blood would come from the fruit of your loins, captain? This ocurred even before I met you!"

"So how do we defeat the witch?" Emma cut to the chase.

"Well, you need to find her first." Gold looked at the eye in the box. "This eye will show you anything you wish to see. We will need it to find your daughter, and then the witch. Alas, there is a downside."

"When is there not." She rolled her eyes. "What's the price?"

"The eye was not meant to be used for mere mortals. So every time the eye is asked to show whatever is needed to be seen, it's magic will take from from the seer one whole year of his life." He smiled. "That is why, Emma, you will need me."

"How?" Killian groaned.

"Let me be the one using the eye. I will lead us all to find the witch, and, of course, your daughter, hopefully before she is found and bled."

"No. NO!" Killian snapped. "You will lie as you always do and lead us to a wild goose chase, just to get what you want!"

Gold laughed softly and closed the box. "And just what might that be, then? My dear Captain, I've no need to go seeking for trouble, especially not after all these years of joy and peace I've had with my wife and boy. But it seems that trouble found its way back to Storybrooke, and alas, you need me. And I am the only one in this town who is immortal and can use the eye safely." He leaned into his display cabinet. "Pamphreda is wily; she can make you doubt yourself and break your spirit far easier than anyone I've ever met. You need my experience with her."

"Cut the crap Gold, just tell us what there is in it for you." Emma quipped.

Tha man nodded thoughtfully. "Much the same there is in it for you, Emma. Peace of mind and the protection of my family. This witch cannot leave her confinement, but she was strong enough to punch a hole into our world to take your little girl. I am fairly sure that that is not a chance you'll want to take again. And believe me…" He sneered. "Even without her eye, she has managed to forsee that the white child had been born and was the right age. So, what do you think will happen to me and my family, should she find her way out? Little Lizzie Jones, I fear, would likely not be her sole victim: My son Gideon, Belle… and countless others. Pamphreda would find her way to Storybrooke, and, as you may have noticed, she is practically a godess. She is not to be trifled with. Therein…. Lies my interest in this."

Hook scratched the back of his ear and looked to Emma, who was just as edgy. The blonde saviour closed her eyes. "Ok, Gold. But the first thing we do is get our daughter. Then we deal with witches and pirates. Lizzie first. Is that clear?"

Gold smirked. "Crystal clear, savior."


End file.
